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
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 22 July 2025
But concerns about one of the costliest public works projects in U.S. history shaping up to be a giant boondoggle date back more than 15 years.
—U T Editorial Board, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 June 2025
If Amtrak doesn’t comply, then Gov. Hochul should say that New York will no longer cooperate with Amtrak’s Gateway boondoggle building a new Hudson tunnel.
—New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 22 May 2025
For others, the United Nations is even worse than a boondoggle.
—Amanda Chicago Lewis, Harpers Magazine, 29 Apr. 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 6 Aug. 2025.
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