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Completely off topic, but the name “standard” makes me think of a hilarious Bob Mortimer story on “World I Lie To You?” where he accidentally set his house on fire as a child with a box of “Standard Fireworks”, which he assumed would be very basic and safe because of the name.

https://youtu.be/Rqmd39GdDww

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Lots of philology this weekend... "Standard" is the symbol you place up high, to "stand hard [firm]", a mark to behold, as if - then - a parameter.

So, 'Standard Ebooks' is read as "model ebooks, exemplary of how they should be made", and the same for the fireworks... In spite of David Mitchell who wanted to joke on "standard" as "common" - which is an overly optimistic deviation, and Mitchell fumbled there, while remaining a good support act for international treasure the Bob Mortimer, the "Standard" (of himself).

But standards can be low or high. Can one firmly stand on unfirm ground?

TCP would suggest that the answer is yes, though it may not always be obvious how.

> low or high

Well, original standards are those of the armies - which compete, so relativity is implied. There is both selection and election there.

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