[Chefelf]

A Tale of Two [Words For] Budgies

I learned something very surprising this week. It's amazing how seldom people talk about parakeets.

Let me explain.

As Jen and I took out the garbage one morning on our way downtown we noticed a giant birdcage. "It looks like someone's bird died," I said. "Yeah," Jen answered. "Someone's budgie."

"What?" I asked.

"Someone's budgie," Jen repeated.

"What are you talking about?"

"Someone's budgie," she repeated.

"What the hell is a budgie?" I asked.

"You know. Like a budgie. A parakeet."

"But what the hell is a budgie?"

"You don't know what a budgie is?"

"No."

"How is it possible that you don't know what a budgie is?"

"How is it possible that you do know what a budgie is."

And that's how our conversation went for most of the day. I speculated that this may just be a Canadian or at the very least a Commonwealth thing. Jen swore I was crazy for not having heard this word. Jen insisted that I call up family members and friends and ask them if they knew what a budgie was. I insisted that that would be a waste of time as I could guarantee they didn't. After calling several of my friends and family we discovered that no one had ever heard of a budgie. Jen could not believe that no one that I knew knew what a budgie was. I had no trouble believing it.

Convinced she was crazy she called her family, IMed her father and all of them knew exactly what a budgie was. In an effort to narrow down who they people who knew this word were she began reaching out to high school and college friends around the country. One after one they responded, much as I had, with a response similar to, "What the hell is a budgie?" These were all university educated individuals. There were lawyers, doctors, students, professionals. No one had ever heard of a budgie.

Finally when Paul came over we asked him and he'd heard of a budgie. Not surprising. Firstly because he is Canadian and secondly because he reads books set in the 1700's to 1800's by English authors almost exclusively.

Curious I did a search for budgies and found budgies.org, a website with an extensive FAQ section which, among other things, answers the age old question: "Does my budgie need grit." It does not. I also found a website dedicated to Gatesey: The Little Blue Budgie. The famous budgie was named after Bill Gates and is featured on his official website in a series of hilarious photos around computer peripherals. I also found the early 70's Welsh rock band Budgie. Given my musical tastes in high school I'm shocked that I missed this band. Incidentally their lead singer/bassist happens to look like Bill Gates with long hair. Coincidence? Probably.

I think the most shocking thing about this whole episode is learning how little people talk about parakeets. I've talked to Jen every day for the past five years and it took that long to learn that there was apparently an alternative word for parakeet. More shockingly it took Jen sixteen years of living in this country to be in a situation where she discussed parakeets or budgies with anyone outside of her immediate family.

Well, maybe it's not really that surprising.




Click the play button below to enjoy the video of the song "Breadfan" by the group Budgie.

[Lefty]

Odd, I've heard of budgies (but I didn't know they were identical to parakeets).

In the interest of science I'll add that I grew up in the midwest, had family in NYC & Florida, & a number of the Florida relatives had birds (cockatoos, doves, various bigger parrots, though no budgies/parakeets per say).

[wallabyeyes]

Once again Monty Python has provided an education that no school i've attended ever could.

Mrs. Premise - "We decided to have the budgie put down!"
Ms. Conclusion - "Oh? Is he very old then?"
Mrs. P - "Nah. We just don't like it."
Ms. C - "oh. How do they put budgies down?"
Mrs. P - "It's funny you should ask! i've been reading a great big book on how to put your budgie down, and incidently you can either hit them with the book or shoot them there just above the beak."
Ms. C - "I heard mrs. Essense flushed hers down the loo!"
Mrs. P - "Oh, that's dangerous. They breed in the sewers, and eventually you get huge flocks of soiled budgies flying out of peoples lavatories, infringing their personal freedom. "

I hope this has been enlightening

[Heccubus]

I had two budgies when I was little. They're horrible, noisy little birds and I will never again keep one in my posession.
Also, their full name is Budgerigar. I have just learned this now.

[Lefty]

Also, their full name is Budgerigar.

ergo: Now that's just nucking futs.

[#1 Mom]

I'm sorry, but I know what a budgie is. I also have heard of a Budgerigar because my friend from Holland calls them that. Am I disowned?

[Cemetery guy]

Sorry kiddo but I agree with your mother on this one. (I've got to live with her, not you.)

In any event, it must be all the British comedy shows we watch. They are always talking about budgies
and loos and fags and suspenders and torches and bangers all that other stuff that the English like to talk about.

[Chefelf]

Well, I don't feel too bad. Lefty & Caolan are the only two American-born, non-commonwealth people my age so far out of about 100 that have heard of it.

I win!

[Deepsycher]

I have seen budgies before in pairs mostly in cages. The reason why I think there are noisy is because they are bored and trapped in captivity and for what I have seen not able to use their wings in such a small space. All I see them doing is sitting on a piece of wood for most of the day and aggressively pecking the metal bars in the cage until they are given attention or food.

The attitude from some bird owners:
"You should never let them out or they will escape."
Well that is keeping birds in forced captivity? What if you were never let out to use your arms?"
"I have rights, animals don't have rights like we do and they are my pets."

Budgie: But I don't want to be your pet.
You are MINE! and I can do what I want to you.

Wouldn't you be noisy if you are trapped in a small jail cell all your life?
(I mean a smaller one compared to outside.)

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 28 June 2007 - 08:33 AM

[Lefty]

Well, I don't feel too bad. Lefty & Caolan are the only two American-born, non-commonwealth people my age so far out of about 100 that have heard of it.

...and I'm almost 100% certain I got it from that Monty Python skit. Or some other britcommery

[Lefty]

Also, their full name is Budgerigar.

it still sounds really weird, but the word "Budgerigar" also appears in Monty Python - was just watching it last night & the 'Village Idiots' sketch has a bank manager saying that sometimes villiage idiots are paid in various useless things--ie, twigs, leaves, "a dead Budgerigar".

[Slade]

I knew that parakeets are budgies, and it's short for Budgerigar, but we owned a nasty little parakeet named Montana for quite a few years (he eventually died), and had a little book about them, so that probably contributed to my knowledge.

[barend]

Well, I don't feel too bad. Lefty & Caolan are the only two American-born, non-commonwealth people my age so far out of about 100 that have heard of it.

I win!

You win what?

I can't beleive you've never heard of a budgie.

Next you'll be telling me you've never heard of Cliff Richard.

[Bond]

Who's Cliff Richard?

[Deepsycher]

Joke:

Tale 1: It is a name of a budgie named Richard.

Tale 2: It flew off a cliff.

This post has been edited by Deepsycher: 16 September 2007 - 09:13 AM