Bog standard
"Ordinary, basic, without any special features."
A genuine puzzle of British engineering slang, first recorded in the 1960s. The leading theory is that it's a corruption of "box standard," referring to the standard specification sheet kept in a box of technical drawings for a piece of machinery, though no documentary trail actually connects the two phrases. A less flattering rival theory suggests it simply piggybacks on "bog," British slang for a toilet, implying "as basic as it gets." Neither theory has solid supporting evidence, and the Oxford English Dictionary lists the origin as unknown.
Myth vs. FactThe 'box standard' engineering explanation is often repeated as though confirmed, but there's no documented link between the two phrases. It's one of several guesses, not a settled origin.
Sources: Oxford English Dictionary, entry for 'bog-standard,' origin listed as unknown; earliest citations from British engineering slang in the 1960s.
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