# Origins and meaning of phrase "bog standard" (UK slang) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 13, 2023, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712 "2023-02-13T13:47:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712/21 "2023-02-15T00:45:46Z")
A related tangent: Bogged Down…as in so enburdened that something is providing sub-par performance… is etymologically related, yes? ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712/22 "2023-02-15T01:03:13Z")
> [@EnolaStraight](#): > > Bogged Down…as in so enburdened that something is providing sub-par performance… is etymologically related, yes? I really think they are talking about a swamp like area there. Fascinating thread. ---
**Author:** ![Staggerlee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/staggerlee/32/3134_2.png) [@Staggerlee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Staggerlee)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712/23 "2023-02-15T11:10:39Z")
I suspect ‘bog standard’ may just refer to the unspectacular dreariness of a bog/marsh. It’s always used in a slightly perjorative way. ---
**Author:** ![SanVito](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sanvito/32/2805_2.png) [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712/24 "2023-02-15T12:55:56Z")
Wouldn’t be so sure. I use ‘bogged down’ regularly, mainly to indicate that I’m too busy to take on additional tasks. Definitely related to getting your foot stuck in a bog and therefore being tied up. ---
**Author:** ![Fridgemagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@Fridgemagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fridgemagnet)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712/25 "2023-02-15T17:54:54Z")
Not the first time this question has been asked, and the definitive answer seems to be “nobody knows”. My favourite explanation (and one that is quite plausible) is that it’s a corrupted reference from the children’s Meccano constructor sets (the closest US analogue to Meccano is Erector), the kits of which came in two flavours - Box Standard, and Box Deluxe. The former morphed into the phrase _bog standard_, while the latter became _dog’s bollocks_, which means something that is very good indeed, even better than the bee’s knees. [Cite](https://www.grammar-monster.com/sayings_proverbs/bog_standard.htm). We’ll never know for sure, but I like to think that I live in a world where there’s an educational children’s toy that is the source of both the phrases _bog standard_ and _dog’s bollocks_. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712/26 "2023-02-15T18:01:34Z")
Sounds pretty unlikely to me. Meccano was never labelled Box Standard or Box deluxe. ---
**Author:** ![Fridgemagnet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/22d042/32.png) [@Fridgemagnet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fridgemagnet)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2023, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712/27 "2023-02-15T18:10:54Z")
> [@bob\_2](#): > > Sounds pretty unlikely to me. Meccano was never labelled Box Standard or Box deluxe. You are quite right, it seems that the tale is just plain old bollocks: [https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin\_board/43/messages/1022.html](https://www.phrases.org.uk/bulletin_board/43/messages/1022.html) Shame about that, it’s otherwise a great yarn. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origins-and-meaning-of-phrase-bog-standard-uk-slang/979712.md?page=1)