Date   : Tue, 31 Jan 2006 19:31:00 +0000
From   : Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk@...>
Subject: Re: Making a 3.5" Beeb floppy drive

Mark Usher wrote:
>>> Arrrghhhh "Box Standard" as in "straight out of the box"
>> erm, no...
>> http://www.worldwidewords.org/qa/qa-bog1.htm
>> The comment about "bog-standard comprehensives"
> That explains it. I was at a Grammar school. :-)
> 
> Ah, but the OED entry says otherwise.
> "Ordinary, basic, standard; without extra features or modification;
> unexceptional or uninspired."
> http://www.oed.com/bbcwordhunt/bog-standard.html

... although my 1950's Oxford dictionary lists a variant of 'bog' in the 16th 
century as meaning 'a source of dread'. Maybe it's just possible that it 
became corrupted over time to mean something akin to 'cheap and nasty' rather 
than outright horrible?