boondoggle

English
WOTD – 16 May 2006
A scouting boondoggle

Etymology

Coined by Robert H. Link, American scout, 1929; alternatively “boon doggle”.[1] Compare woggle of similar sense, attested in same period.

In sense of “wasteful government program”, popularized in 1935 by The New York Times, in reference to New Deal programs which were claimed to feature people making such braids.[2]

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈbuːndɒɡəl/
  • Audio (US)(file)

Noun

boondoggle (plural boondoggles)

  1. (especially Scouting) A braided ring to hold a neckerchief.
    Synonym: woggle
  2. (US, figuratively) A waste of time and/or money; a pointless activity.
    Coordinate term: white elephant
    Opponents consider this another billion-dollar government boondoggle.
    • 2014 November 6, Rob Nixon, “Naomi Klein’s ‘This Changes Everything’”, in New York Times‎:
      Klein dismantles the boondoggle that is cap and trade.

Translations
woggle — see woggle

Verb

boondoggle (third-person singular simple present boondoggles, present participle boondoggling, simple past and past participle boondoggled)

  1. (intransitive) To waste time on a pointless activity.

Further reading

References
  1. “Boondoggle” in Michael Quinion, World Wide Words, 1996–.
  2. “$3,187,000 relief is spent to teach jobless to play; $19,658,512 voted for April; 'Boon Doggles' Made”, in New York Times‎, 1935-04-04
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