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Bogstandard

Exit · 2003-12-17 19:50:00

Anybody know where that word/phrase comes from?

17-12-2003 8:50pm

#1

Exit

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Anybody know where that word/phrase comes from?

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#2 17-12-2003 9:53pm

Victor

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Not quite, but often things in bogs tend to be primative.

Although I once heard an architect respond "Oh, just bog standard" when asked by the builder what quality of bathroom fittings he wanted.

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#3 23-12-2003 8:49pm

simu

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This explanation is funny:

Legend has it that in the 1950s, construction kits like Meccano would be sold in boxes of various sizes. The list of contents which came with the standard size box would be headed 'Box, Standard' (which elided into 'bog standard' when spoken) and the larger box was the 'Box, Deluxe' which was spoonerised to create the phrase 'The Dog's B******s'.

From an amusing article on English slang (http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/h2g2/A753527).

The word bog, incidentally, came into English from the Irish bogach. (Bog, in Irish, means soft).

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#4 23-12-2003 9:50pm

Exit

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What a great read that link was!

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