Bog chisel

Of course we all know that a bog-chisel is a universally used slang term for a crevasse probe. But how did it get its name? Mike Prior-Jones (Rothera Comms Manager) says in his Glossary of BASisms (see link on Z-fids glossary page): "The name comes from the days when Halley had 'long drop' type toilets into snow pits. Unfortunately, the waste froze into a sort of pyramid shape (usually called a turdicle or sometimes a stalacshite) and required periodic breaking up with the bog chisel, which was previously known just as a crevasse probe." It sounds a plausible explanation but can anyone confirm it? Who coined the term, and when? [20 Mar 2010]

In response, Ian Buckler wrote:

Bog Chisel - definitely - having watched Barry K and Al 'dig' the the loo with a 4 foot blow torch we all experienced the growth of the Turdicle and the occasional need for decapitation of same with a long 'tool'. Presumably this continued for years until Halley 1 became unusable and other arrangements took over with the "cleaner Antarctic regime. I always thought it was a good way of storing up food for the Krill in years to come. [23 Mar 2010]

John Skipworth confirms that the bog chisel was in use in 1966.

Peter Noble thinks the term originated at another base that did not have "long-drop" toilets.

Ron Gill says it was the accepted term in 1970.