BOGOF is used as a noun as in 'There are some great bogofs
on at the supermarket' or an adjective, usually with a word such as 'offer’ or 'deal’ — 'there are
some great bogof offers in store'.
When you combine the first letters of the
words in a phrase or the name of an organisation, you have an acronym. Acronyms are spoken as a
word so NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organisation) is not pronounced N-A-T-O. We say NATO. Bogof,
when said out loud, is quite comical for a native speaker, as it sounds like an insult, 'Bog off!’ meaning
go away, leave me alone, slightly childish and a little old-fashioned.
BOGOF is the best-known of the
supermarket marketing strategies. The concept was first imported from the USA during the 1970s
recession, when food prices were very high. It came back into fashion in the late 1990s, led by big
supermarket chains trying to gain a competitive advantage over each other. Consumers were attracted
by the idea that they could get something for nothing. Who could possibly say 'no’?
Disponível em: www.bbc.co.uk. Acesso em: 2
ago. 2012 (adaptado).