boondoggle
noun
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Boondoggle Started With the Scouts
When boondoggle popped up in the early 1900s, lots of people tried to explain where the word came from. One theory traced it to an Ozarkian word for "gadget," while another related it to the Tagalog word that gave us boondocks. Another hypothesis suggested that boondoggle came from the name of leather toys Daniel Boone supposedly made for his dog. But the only theory that is supported by evidence is much simpler. In the 1920s, Robert Link, a scoutmaster for the Boy Scouts of America, apparently coined the word to name the braided leather cords made and worn by scouts. The word came to prominence when such a boondoggle was presented to the Prince of Wales at the 1929 World Jamboree, and it's been with us ever since. Over time, it developed the additional sense describing a wasteful or impractical project.
Examples of boondoggle in a Sentence
Nick Pinkerton, Harpers Magazine, 24 Oct. 2025
A lot of money, but still less than the boondoggles at either the Healey hotels or out on the Pike.
—Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 19 Oct. 2025
Which brings us to the question of whether this is the worst such boondoggle in world history — and to Ferdinand de Lesseps.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Sep. 2025
That’s a tough argument to make when $1 billion per year for the next 20 years is directed to the high-speed rail boondoggle.
—Jon Coupal, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for boondoggle
Cite this Entry
“Boondoggle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/boondoggle. Accessed 30 Oct. 2025.
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