Austral English. Edward Ellis Morris
a variation of <i>Burrawang</i> (q.v.).
1877. Australie, `The Buddawong's Crown,' `Australian Poets,' 1788–1888, ed. Sladen, p. 39:
"A Buddawong seed-nut fell to earth,
In a cool and mossy glade,
And in spring it shot up its barbed green swords,
Secure 'neath the myrtle's shade.
… … … … … … …
And the poor, poor palm has died indeed.
But little the strangers care,
`There are zamias in plenty more,' they say,
But the crown is a beauty rare."
<hw>Budgeree</hw>, <i>adj</i>. aboriginal word for good, which is common colloquially in the bush. See <i>Budgerigar</i>.
1793. J.Hunter, `Port Jackson,' p. 195:
"They very frequently, at the conclusion of the dance, would apply to us … for marks of our approbation … which we never failed to give by often repeating the word <i>boojery</i>, good; or <i>boojery caribberie</i>, a good dance."
<hw>Budgerigar</hw>, or <hw>Betcherrygah</hw>, <i>n</i>. aboriginal name for the bird called by Gould the <i>Warbling Grass-parrakeet</i>; called also <i>Shell-parrot</i> and <i>Zebra- Grass-parrakeet</i>. In the Port Jackson dialect <i>budgeri</i>, or <i>boodgeri</i>, means good, excellent. In `Collins' Vocabulary' (1798), boodjer-re = good. In New South Wales <i>gar</i> is common as first syllable of the name for the white cockatoo, as <i>garaweh</i>. See <i>Galah</i>. In the north of New South Wales <i>kaar</i>= white cockatoo. The spelling is very various, but the first of the two above given is the more correct etymologically. In the United States it is spelt <i>beauregarde</i>, derived by `Standard' from French <i>beau</i> and <i>regarde</i>, a manifest instance of the law of <i>Hobson -Jobson</i>.
1847. L. Leichhardt, `Overland Expedition,' p. 297:
"The betshiregah (<i>Melopsittacus Undulatus</i>, Gould) were very numerous."
1848. J. Gould, `Birds of Australia,' vol. v. Pl. 44:
"<i>Melopsittacus Undulatus</i>. Warbling Grass-Parrakeet. Canary Parrot—colonists. <i>Betcherrygah</i>—natives of Liverpool Plains."
1857. Letter, Nov.17, in `Life of Fenton J. A. Hort' (1896), vol. i. p. 388:
"There is also a small green creature like a miniature cockatoo, called a Budgeragar, which was brought from Australia. He is quaint and now and then noisy, but not on the whole a demonstrative being."
1857. W. Howitt, `Tallangetta,' vol. i. p. 48:
"Young paroquets, the green leeks, and the lovely speckled budgregores."
1865. Lady Barker, `Station Life in New Zealand,' p. 7:
"I saw several pairs of those pretty grass or zebra parroquets, which are called here by the very inharmonious name of `budgereghars.'"
2890. Lyth, `Golden South,' c. xiv. p. 127:
"The tiny budgeriegar, sometimes called the shell parrot."
<hw>Bugle</hw>, <i>n</i>. name given to the Australian plant <i>Ajuga australis</i>, R. Br., <i>N.O. Labiatae</i>.
<hw>Bugler</hw>, <i>n</i>. a name given in Tasmania to the fish <i>Centriscus scolopax</i>, family <i>Centriscidae</i>; called in Europe the <i>Trumpet-fish</i>, <i>Bellows-fish</i>, the latter name being also used for it in Tasmania. The structure of the mouth and snout suggests a musical instrument, or, combined with the outline of the body, a pair of bellows. The fish occurs also in Europe.
<hw>Bugong</hw>, or <hw>Bogong</hw>, or <hw>Bougong</hw>, <i>n</i>. an Australian moth, <i>Danais limniace</i>, or<i> Agrotis spina</i>, eaten by the aborigines.
1834. Rev. W. B. Clarke, `Researches in the Southern Gold Fields of New South Wales' (second edition), p. 228:
"These moths have obtained their name from their occurrence on the `Bogongs' or granite mountains. They were described by my friend Dr. Bennett in his interesting work on `New South Wales,' 1832–4, as abundant on the Bogong Mountain, Tumut River. I found them equally abundant, and in full vigour, in December, coming in clouds from the granite peaks of the Muniong Range. The blacks throw them on the fire and eat them."
1859. H. Kingsley, `Geoffrey Hamlyn,' p. 355:
"The westward range is called the Bougongs. The blacks during summer are in the habit of coming thus far to collect and feed on the great grey moths (bougongs) which are found on the rocks."
1871. `The Athenaeum,' May 27, p. 660:
"The Gibbs Land and Murray districts have been divided into the following counties: … Bogong (native name of grubs and moths)."
1878. R. Brough Smyth, `The Aborigines of Victoria,' vol. i. p. 207
"The moths—the Bugong moths(<i>Agrolis suffusa</i>) are greedily devoured by the natives; and in former times, when they were in season, they assembled in great numbers to eat there, and they grew fat on this food." [Also a long footnote.]
1890. Richard Helms, `Records of the Australian Museum,' vol. i. No. 1:
"My aim was to obtain some `Boogongs,' the native name for the moths which so abundantly occur on this range, and no doubt have given it its name."
1896. `Sydney Mail,' April 4, Answers to Correspondents:
"It cannot be stated positively, but it is thought that the name of the moth `bogong' is taken from that of the mountain. The meaning of the word is not known, but probably it is an aboriginal word."
<hw>Bull-a-bull</hw>, or <hw>Bullybul</hw>, <i>n</i>. a child's corruption of the Maori word <i>Poroporo</i> (q.v.), a flowering shrub of New Zealand. It is allied to the <i>Kangaroo-Apple</i> (q.v.).
1845. `New Plymouth's National Song,' in Hursthouse's `New Zealand,' p. 217:
"And as for fruit, the place is full
Of that delicious bull-a-bull."
<hw>Bullahoo</hw>, <i>n</i>. See <i>Ballahoo</i>.
<hw>Bull-ant</hw>, <i>n</i>. contracted and common form of the words <i>Bull-dog Ant</i> (q.v.).
<hw>Bull-dog Ant</hw>, <i>n</i>. (frequently shortened to <i>Bull-dog</i> or <i>Bull-ant</i>), an ant of large size with a fierce bite. The name is applied to various species of the genus <i>Myrmecia</i>, which is common throughout Australia and Tasmania.
1878. Mrs. H. Jones, `Long Years in Australia,' p. 93:
"Busy colonies of ants (which everywhere infest the country) … One kind is very warlike—the `bull-dog': sentinels stand on the watch, outside the nest, and in case of attack disappear for a moment and return with a whole army of the red-headed monsters, and should they nip you, will give you a remembrance of their sting never to be forgotten."
1888. Alleged `Prize Poem,' Jubilee Exhibition:
"The aborigine is now nearly extinct,
But the bull-dog-ant and the kangaroo rat
Are a little too thick—I think."
1896. A. B. Paterson, `Man from Snowy River,' p. 142:
"Where the wily free-selector walks in armour-plated pants,
And defies the stings of scorpion and the bites of bull-dog
ants."