Up The Boohai with Brett

The Autumn birthday parade continues with another member of the Irish Fest family hitting the 40 mile marker on the road of life. The best accordion player on this or any other planet, Brett Gibson, late of the Elders and Eddie Delahunt band fame is two score today.

Since he's a musician, I'll refrain from my urge to write him a song. Instead, to help you better communicate with our New Zealand-born birthday boy, I offer a few handy Kiwi slang terms. Toss them liberally into your conversations with Brett and make him feel at home. I did not make any of these up, I swear.

•Bit of a dag: hard case; comedian; joker. As in: "That Brett is a bit of a dag!"
•Suck the kumura: to die or otherwise cease. As in: "I know he's getting old, but I hope Brett doesn't suck the kumura any time soon."
•Bludge: to sponge off others. As in: "That Brett...just because it's his birthday he thinks he can bludge his friends."
•Bugalugs: a friend; a bit like "mate". As in: "Look, mate, just 'cause you're my bugalugs doesn't mean you can bludge off me."
•Rark up: give somebody a good telling off. As in: "I'd give Brett a bit of a rark up for bludging all his bugalugs, but at his age he'd probably have a heart attack and suck the kumara."
•Hard yakka: hard work, associated with labouring. As in: "Brett? He's an accordion player! What does he know about hard yakka?"
•Colly wobbles: a feeling of nausea usually associated with nervousness; As in: "Every time Brett takes the stage at Irish Fest, we all get the colly wobbles somethin' fierce."
•Give your ferret a run: have sex. As in: "Now that he's 40, poor Brett won't be giving his ferret a run very often."
•Dunny: toilet, bathroom, lavatory. As in: "Now that he's 40, Brett will be running to the dunny 5 or 6 times a night."
•Pong: bad smell. As in: "My God, what's the pong in the dunny?? Was Brett just in here?"
•Yonks: forever, a long time ago, ages; As in: "It's been yonks since Brett gave the ferret a run."
•Box of budgies: cheerful, happy, very good. As in: "I hope your birthday is a box of budgies, Brett!"

Have a great one, you old wally! Let's scull a bevy soon!