boondoggle

boondoggle
/boohn"dog'euhl, -daw'geuhl/, n., v., boondoggled, boondoggling.
n.
1. a product of simple manual skill, as a plaited leather cord for the neck or a knife sheath, made typically by a camper or a scout.
2. work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy.
3. a project funded by the federal government out of political favoritism that is of no real value to the community or the nation.
v.t.
4. to deceive or attempt to deceive: to boondoggle investors into a low-interest scheme.
v.i.
5. to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.
[1930-35, Amer.; said to have been coined by R. H. Link, American scoutmaster, as name for def. 1]

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Boondoggle — or boon doggle may refer to:* Boondoggle (project), term for a scheme that wastes time and money * Scoubidou, a knotting and plaiting craft known in the U.S. as boondoggle ** Gimp (thread), a type of thread used in making boondoggles and lanyards …   Wikipedia

  • boondoggle — ☆ boondoggle [bo͞on′däg΄əl, bo͞on′dôg΄əl ] n. [orig. dial., ornamental leather strap; modern sense from c. 1935] a trifling or pointless project, expenditure, etc.; now esp., one financed by public funds vi. boondoggled, boondoggling to engage in …   English World dictionary

  • boondoggle — oon dog*gle v. 1. a braided cord made by hand by young scouts, used for various purposes, such as a hat cord or a key chain. 2. a useless, wasteful, or impractical project; especially one authorized by a government agency as a favor to partisans …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • boondoggle — oon dog*gle v. to do useless, wasteful, or trivial work. [WordNet 1.5] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • boondoggle — (n.) 1935, American English, of uncertain origin, popularized during the New Deal as a contemptuous word for make work projects for the unemployed. Said to have been a pioneer word for gadget; it also was by 1932 a Boy Scout term for a kind of… …   Etymology dictionary

  • boondoggle — [[t]bu͟ːndɒgl[/t]] boondoggles N COUNT (disapproval) People sometimes refer to an official organization or activity as a boondoggle when they think it wastes a lot of time and money and does not achieve much. [AM, INFORMAL] The planned… …   English dictionary

  • boondoggle — [“bundogl] n. a waste of time and money; a project for spending public money. □ Another Washington boondoggle came to light today as investigators revealed plans for a dam in a California canyon that doesn’t have any water. □ This is another… …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • boondoggle — noun Etymology: coined by Robert H. Link died 1957 American scoutmaster Date: 1929 1. a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament 2. a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft •… …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • boondoggle — 1. noun /ˈbuːndɒɡəl/ a) A braided ring to hold a neckerchief, particularly in scouting; a woggle. Opponents consider this another billion dollar government boondoggle. b) A waste of time and/or money; a …   Wiktionary

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