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

A scouting boondoggle

boondoggle (plural boondoggles)

1. A braided ring to hold a neckerchief, particularly in scouting; a woggle.
2. (US) A waste of time and/or money; a pointless activity.

   Opponents consider this another billion-dollar government boondoggle.

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.

References