where does the phrase "bog standard" come from?

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i already found this web-page answer, but it basically boils down to "erm bog sometimes means toilet in uk-speak, so, er, it's connected to that maybe? erm i don't know"

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 11:42 (twenty-two years ago)

the many dictionary meanings clustered round bog, bogey, boggle, bogomil etc give almost too many possibilities

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 11:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Did I hear it stood for British Or German? Like they were the recognised leaders in whatever field?

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 11:48 (twenty-two years ago)

wellies.

― RJG (RJG), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

yes but doesn't it mean the "minimum acceptable standard" not "leader in the field'?

(acc.that page i linked to it only became popular in the 80s)

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 11:51 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, it does now, but maybe then it was the equivalent of a kite mark.

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Like the only make you could trust had to be British or German.

― Mark C (Mark C), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 11:56 (twenty-two years ago)

there is much support on the net for yr theory, mark!! in which case, interesting example of meaning-slippage (presumably on the grounds that ppl not in the know tht "bog" must be bad not good...)

― mark s (mark s), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 12:00 (twenty-two years ago)

The phrase "put a sock in it" comes from when pple used to have Gramophones, and all the records played at one really loud sound. So, people used to put socks in the trumpet bit to muffle the sound a bit.

― jel -- (jel), Wednesday, 20 August 2003 15:43 (twenty-two years ago)

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