Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

bog-standard

/ˌbɒɡˈstændəd/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.33 in modern English

Syllables: bog--s-tan-dard
IPA: /ˌbɒɡˈstændəd/

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

5

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Utterly basic, ordinary, or standard; unremarkable, unexceptional, etc.

Derogatory; Informal

Example Sentences

"Bog standard Sprite, 1959, two owners."
"She was ‘bog standard’—meaning straight from the production line without modifications."
"Don't misunderstand me: there's nothing wrong with a low-cost bog-standard service, it's just that many people want something more and are happy to pay for it."

Etymology

Unknown, but probably derived from a corruption of box-standard under influence from bog (“toilet”), possibly via bog-wheel (“Cambridge slang for bicycle”), or from bog (“unsettled swampland”) in reference to a lack of sophistication or polish. Sometimes folk etymologized as separately deriving from bog (“toilet”) + standard after a supposed similarity among chamberpots or toilets (despite box-standard predating it by a century and bog's original use only in reference to latrines and outhouses) or from the unattested acronym BOG, allegedly short for British or German, referring to the supposed dominance of British and German engineering during Victorian times.

Regional Pronunciation

British English: /ˌbɒɡˈstændəd/

Usage

Inflected Forms

bog standard (alternative) bogstandard (alternative)

Derived Forms

bogey boggo

Synonyms

bogey boggo average basic bog-standard common common as bums common as dirt common as muck common as pig tracks dime a dozen everyday

Questions

How do you pronounce bog-standard?: The recorded pronunciation is /ˌbɒɡˈstændəd/.
What does bog-standard mean?: Utterly basic, ordinary, or standard; unremarkable, unexceptional, etc.
Where does bog-standard come from?: Unknown, but probably derived from a corruption of box-standard under influence from bog (“toilet”), possibly via bog-wheel (“Cambridge slang for bicycle”), or from bog (“unsettled swampland”) in reference to a lack of sophistication or polish. Sometimes folk etymologized as separately deriving from bog (“toilet”) + standard after a supposed similarity among chamberpots or toilets (despite box-standard predating it by a century and bog's original use only in reference to latrines and outhouses) or from the unattested acronym BOG, allegedly short for British or German, referring to the supposed dominance of British and German engineering during Victorian times.

How to pronounce bog-standard

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “bog-standard”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ˌbɒɡˈstændəd/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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