i was confused.

kwargs.py

#!/usr/bin/env python
# encoding: utf-8
"""
test.py
"""

class Foo(object):
    
    def kwargdefaults(self, **kwargs):
        return {
            "a": kwargs.get("foo", "bar")
        }
        
    def howtoreturnkwargs(self):
        return { "a":1, "b":2, "c":{ "a":3 }, "d":False }
    
    def testy(self, **kwargs):
        print "called."
        for arg in kwargs:
            print arg, "===", kwargs[arg]
    
    def __init__(self):
        
        self.testy()
        
        self.testy(a=1, b=2, c={ 'a':3 }, d=False)
        # if you skip the **, it's just passing one arg as a literal unnamed. which is an error.
        self.testy(**self.howtoreturnkwargs())

        # for fun
        self.testy(**self.kwargdefaults());        
        self.testy(**self.kwargdefaults(foo="bam"));
        
        
if __name__ == "__main__":
    foo = Foo()