boondoggle

Meaning

Noun

1. A braided ring to hold a neckerchief.
2. (Canada, US, figuratively, usually) A waste of time or money; a pointless activity.
3. (slang) A non-work trip away from a research station.

Verb

To waste time on a pointless activity.

Translations

μαστορεύω

يقوم بعمل تافه

Vergeudung

κάνω άχρηστη εργασία

gaspillage

faydasız iş

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ˈbuːndɒɡl̩/

Etymology

Coined by American scout leader Robert H. Link in 1929; alternatively “boon doggle”. Compare woggle of similar sense, which is attested in the same period. In the sense of a “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.