BANISH those awful early morning Monday feelings – it’s far too early in the year 2008 for such depressive pastimes. Those in the work force, that dreadful phrase suggestive of Pharoah’s foremen lashing the builders of the pyramids or galley masters flogging oarsmen, can take comfort in the knowledge that their efforts help keep the good ship PNG chugging along.
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SO what do our readers think of the K20 or K30 million extra for our humble politicians? Does the work of parliamentary committees warrant such a hefty boost? Would you agree with Transparency International – and incidentally our editorial last week – that pointed out the almost total lack of effort by the committees to date, with the exception of the PAC?
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SUPPORT the parliamentarians or vent your spleen, whichever seems most appropriate to you and do so in an e-mail to DeeNesenolis@hotmail.com; we will be pleased to read your thoughts on the issue and print the most erudite and passionate in due course.
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SPEAKING of due course, we did ask you at Christmas to exercise your word power and quite a few – those who could be prized away from the Scotch and the plum pudding – rose to the challenge.
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TYPICAL of them was our regular Canadian correspondent Devjani Chaudhuri, formerly living in PNG and now a resident of Canada. For boborygmus, Devjani offered sounds or noises produced by intestinal contents including gas during peristalsis; and, cullet she correctly identified as broken glass, generally intended for recycling.
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DR John Christie of Melbourne gave the most precise definition of the three words, as one might expect. Says the good doctor: “Most people suffer borborygmi (the plural of boborygmus or commonly known as tummy rumbles) followed by relieving flatus (wind or kapupu in the vernacular) after over-indulging at Christmas but a glass cut to the great toe can be a serious matter requiring the attention of the apothecary.”
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IN that manner Dr Christie dealt with all three of our words – boborygmus, cullet and halux, which is the great or big toe. Many thanks to Devjani and Dr Christie and to the others who found time to forward an answer. Cheers!
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- Dee Nesenolis