Berkeley Hunt - Lending A Name

Lending A Name

• The English slang word "berk" is a contraction of "Berkeley Hunt", which in turn refers to the English vulgarity "cunt" (The usage is dated to the 1930s). It is an example of Cockney rhyming slang. The "berk" in Berkeley is pronounced /ˈbɑrk/, but in Cockney it is pronounced /ˈbɜrk/, as in American English.
• The Hunt class mine countermeasure vessel HMS Berkeley was named after the hunt.
• Berkeley Square in London is named after the Berkeley family's London home, Berkeley House, now known as Devonshire House.