Bog Standard (Origin)

by Craig Shrives

What Is the Origin of the Saying "Bog Standard"?

Bog standard means normal or run of the mill.

The children's toy set Meccano came in two standards: Box Standard and Box Deluxe. Box Standard was the basic model and is believed to be the derivation of the term bog standard, which means average.

Box Deluxe, on the other hand, was used by the workers in the Meccano factory to mean posh or high quality. Over time, Box Deluxe changed to Dog's Bollocks as workers swapped the initial letters of the words. It spread quickly. Other versions, such as the mutts nuts and the dog's danglies, emerged soon afterwards.

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Bog Standard (Origin)

Examples of Use:

  • The car he purchased was a bog standard model with no extra features or upgrades.
  • They stayed in a bog standard hotel room with basic amenities and no frills.
  • The smartphone he bought was a bog standard device with average specifications and no unique features.
  • The apartment they rented was a bog standard unit with standard furnishings and no special design elements.
  • They served a bog standard meal with typical dishes and no extravagant culinary touches.

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What are idioms? What is figurative language? A list of common grammar errors A list of easily confused words A list of sayings and proverbs