Long thought extinct, the drongo is back. Not the bird, it's doing just fine, but the uniquely Aussie expression for an idiot or incompetent person that had all but faded from the vernacular.

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It returned last week when a columnist at Nine newspapers dismissed suggestions for dealing with the fuel crunch - bad ideas like cutting the fuel excise or making public transport free that have been flying around like unguided missiles - as "drongo economics". Dumb notions that would only fuel inflation and upend the government's upcoming budget.

Drongos have been in full-throated song lately.

Shortly after the war erupted, warbling in our own Senate, Pauline Hanson congratulated "senator" Trump for launching the attack on Iran and freeing the Iranian people. She didn't flinch when corrected by Lidia Thorpe. Talk first, think later - or don't think at all. Classic drongo behaviour.

Hanson was on song again last week, doubling down on her support for Trump, oblivious to the effect the war was having on her own constituency. Oblivious, too, to polling that shows most Australians do not support the war or Donald Trump. Most of us think he's the drongo-in-chief.

Then there was the Coalition call for the government to slash EV and home battery subsidies to fund a cut to the fuel excise. At the very moment Australians are reminded that solar power stored in batteries doesn't have to navigate the Strait of Hormuz and that EVs might be a better idea than diesel-guzzling utes, only a drongo would suggest making us even more dependent on fossil fuels.

The Nationals launched the No Fuel Here platform, encouraging users to report fuel shortages in regional areas. One problem was they had no intention of publishing the data collected, which instead would go to MPs. Another was the fine print saying that by using the platform, users agreed to receive material from the Nationals. In other words, a clumsy attempt at email harvesting from a bunch of drongos.

Bloody drongos aren't restricted to one side of politics. Energy Minister Chris Bowen performed his own drongo routine early in the war, claiming one day there was no crisis and admitting there was the next. Assurances all is fine with fuel until mid-April sound like a drongo given mid-April is just a couple of weeks away.

But the the ultimate drongo was the prime minister himself when he leapt to support the US strikes against Iran, saying the legality of the attack was up to the US and Israel to explain. Not only was Albo being a drongo, he expected the rest of us to be drongos and swallow his line. We didn't.

And, from stage right, comes another drongo, Clive Palmer. Failing at the last election, he's re-entered the populist political fray with new sickly yellow advertisements. Last time it was the Trumpet of Patriots; this time it's the "New Deal", borrowed from Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era reconstruction program. If at first, second, third or fourth, you don't succeed, try and fail again.

Which takes us neatly back to the origin of the expression drongo. Drongo was the name of a 1920s racehorse which never won a race after 37 starts and became the butt of jokes. A century later and the old slang word has a whole new currency.

HAVE YOUR SAY: With so many around at the moment, should we restore the drongo as our go-to word for incompetent people? What other lost Aussie slang terms should be restored to their former glory? Email us: echidna@theechidna.com.au

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

- Australia isn't "precious" about the US decision to launch a war on Iran without notifying it first, as Anthony Albanese doubles down in the face of a verbal spray by Donald Trump.

- Germany might become one of the first international buyers of Australian-designed drones, as the two nations seek to deepen defence ties.

- Governments are being urged to cut unnecessary spending and avoid indiscriminately spraying cost-of-living support as oil prices surge. In a snap report prompted by the Middle East conflict, the OECD upped its inflation forecast for Australia in 2026 to 4.1 per cent, from 2.7 per cent in December.

THEY SAID IT: "Who do they think I am, some stupid Aussie drongo?" - Bart Simpson, Bart Vs Australia, 1995

YOU SAID IT: Amid the global turmoil, kindness still goes about its work, never asking for thanks or acknowledgment, wrote Garry.

"You are so right," writes Thais. "The older I get, the more I realise that kindness is the most important human quality. Kindness to yourself, as well as to others."

Emile writes: "Nicely told stories of kindness, Garry. I have the privilege of running a small charity feeding the needful in the Ulladulla area and am constantly amazed, occasionally stunned, by the generosity of people and organisations in our small community. All our funds are raised locally, and donations range from $20 (from pensioners!) to $20,000 (from our wonderful community bank). We are also supported by a small army of cooks who deliver hot food to our newly purchased van for distribution to all comers. We are blessed indeed to live in such a caring and supportive community."

"After a recent stay in hospital, a neighbour I have never officially met, albeit my husband has, came over with a tray of lasagne to help out, totally unexpected but greatly appreciated," writes Sally. "Another generous neighbour supplied soup, lasagne and biscuits. How lucky were we."

Sue writes: "While at Uni in the late 60s, I was given assistance a couple of times when things were difficult, and introduced to the idea of paying it forward. The people who assisted me did not need me to return the favour but asked that, instead, when I was in a position to do so, to keep an eye out for others who needed assistance. Sometimes that assistance is significant, sometimes it is just a cheerful word or a smile. Whatever, if I am in a position to do so, I keep making that effort."

"Hate to be the naysayer in the group and I'm slightly off-topic, but I would not be a conscript to Cecilia's band of volunteers," writes Anita. "I don't like being 'bossed', especially not by choice. Some petty generals take up voluntary work with the ulterior motive to 'commandeer'. I do a lot of volunteering myself and would not act as a general for a millisecond. There's quite enough of that in the paid workforce. I use my skills in ways suited to me."

Liz writes: "I have had the good fortune to have witnessed so many acts of kindness in my life that to nominate one feels like I dismiss others. I will say though, that those kindnesses that affected me most were from or between people who had very little in terms of wealth or possession. Suffice to say, I have great faith in everyday human beings and their capacity for kindness."

"Kindness is something you do and do not boast about," writes Michele. "But I would like to say that I get so much out of helping others that it is a two-way street. Just as the nurse cried when she took home the patient. The pleasure you get for giving your time and money cannot be measured. I have been volunteering in some capacity or another since I was 17, first raising funds for our local junior soccer team, then my children's preschool, and continued through life. Now semi-retired, I have about eight volunteer positions on committees or consulting to charities. My reward is the enjoyment of passing on my knowledge to others."

Ron writes: "Random acts of kindness; I call them 'micro joys' - helping someone to put a smile on their face and a reason to enjoy life in this swirl of constant conflict and pain. For me as a gardener in a retirement village, it's an offer of freshly picked flowers, the design of a new garden or just a listening ear."

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