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burr up


to become annoyed: He really burred up when I told him to go away.

Contributor's comments: I have lived in Brisbane for 35 years and have never heard "burr up" before. My wife has lived in Brisbane for 56 years and has never heard it either. This is not a Brisbane area regionalism.

Contributor's comments: Born and bred in Brissy and "burred-up" was v. common in our circles. Perhaps some of these regionalisms are also socialisms - different social strata in the same town use different expressions ?

Contributor's comments: Frequently used among young people throughout QLD. I have attended schools in Brisbane, the Wide Bay area, Darling Downs and Far North Qld and have heard it in use throughout these areas - especially FNQ.

Contributor's comments: I first heard this saying from an old man here in the top end - he came from Victoria.

Contributor's comments: My father used this term (in the Wide Bay area). He also used a form of it to mean that someone was becoming angry or agitated: "He's getting burry!" Dad had been involved with mustering cattle in his younger days and I wondered if the expression came from seeing either cattle or horses become agitated when prickly burrs irritated their skin.