Re: The origin of the term 'El Niño' . . .
<In Spanish their name refers to Jesus Christ because they used to take place around Christmas.
Debatable, particularly since it doesn't explain La Niña.
According to a documentary some time ago which interviewed a trawler captain from Chile, El Niño refers to the temperature of the water. He explained that, when you place your hand in the water, it feels as though a boy had just pissed in the water.
I wouldn’t doubt this is the true source, being cleaned up a little by the religious of the region,
Dan