Madam, - Keith Nolan (October 21st) should not find the term "bog standard" so offensive. My grandfather, a native of Co Clare who fought with the British army in the trenches of the first World War, explained the origin of the term to me.
Madam, - Keith Nolan (October 21st) should not find the term "bog standard" so offensive. My grandfather, a native of Co Clare who fought with the British army in the trenches of the first World War, explained the origin of the term to me.
Nothing to do with Irish bogs, I'm afraid, or a churlish reflection on the Irish. Instead, "bog standard" was a truncation of "Basic Operating Guide Standard", a reference to the army's operating manual at the time. These old sayings should be cherished. Standards did not come any higher. - Yours, etc.,
WINNIFRED OLIVER, San Francisco, California, USA.