# Buggins's turn

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/bugginss-turn
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A humorous, disparaging term for the appointment of a person by rotation or promotion, on the basis of length of service (it being that person's "turn") rather than merit or level of qualification.

## Examples

- He got the promotion just because it was Buggins's turn.
- The manager chose the least qualified candidate for the lead role, simply because it was Buggins's turn.
- The committee members were frustrated when the most experienced person was passed over for the chair position simply to follow the tradition of Buggins's turn.
- The department head ignored the younger, more talented staff, preferring to reward seniority through the outdated practice of Buggins's turn.

## Origin

The expression is first recorded in a 1901 letter by Admiral Fisher, who later served as First Sea Lord. The term Buggins is an invented surname intended to evoke a person of mediocre ability, whose promotion is a matter of administrative rotation rather than professional merit. Fisher used the name to characterise a system of appointment by seniority, in which the requirements of the office are secondary to the fact that it is Buggins's turn.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.