Talk:Bodge
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The definition says, "The term [bodge] was created after the collapse of a bridge designed by an architect named Bodge." This sounds like pure urban legend to me.
I agree, this is urban legend. "Bodgers" were originally wood turners/workers who made useful wooden tools and objects out of small pieces of waste wood. This was the use of "to bodge" in the 16th/17th & 18th C in England.
- Not so! Bodging was the use of a pole lathe to turn wood in situ, a woodcraft practised around the country, and in is particularly well-known in the High Wycombe area and it's furniture industries (The local football team are nick-named the chairboys). Rather than cut and transport the wood to a workshop, it was more efficient to take the 'workshop' to the woods. I'm not sure how this skillful activity aquired it's negative conotations; maybe a view that factory made furniture was 'better'? Markb 07:34, 4 May 2006 (UTC)
- Too right. And as for this: "Bodge is British slang for a mistake of impressive magnitude, usually made through carelessness.". Nonsense. It's never used like that: "Oh no - the bridge fell down - such a terrible bodge to befall us!" I'm changing the main meaning to "clumsy,inelegant or inadequate solution to a problem". --Farry 14:42, 28 April 2006 (UTC)
This page should not be merged with kludge. The words are different, with different histories and slightly different meanings.
Bodging is the art of skillful application of blue string and gaffa tape to problems. Perhaps some mention of scrapheap challenge should be made.
