boondoggle

American  

[boon-dog-uhl, -daw-guhl] / ˈbunˌdɒg əl, -ˌdɔ gəl /

noun

1. a wasteful and worthless project undertaken for political, corporate, or personal gain, typically a government project funded by taxpayers.

   Is high-speed rail a valuable addition to infrastructure, or a boondoggle?

2. work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy.

3. 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.

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verb (used with object)

boondoggled, boondoggling

1. to deceive or attempt to deceive.

   to boondoggle investors into a low-interest scheme.

verb (used without object)

boondoggled, boondoggling

1. to do work of little or no practical value merely to keep or look busy.

boondoggle British  

/ ˈbuːnˌdɒɡəl /

verb

1. (intr) to do futile and unnecessary work

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noun

1. a futile and unnecessary project or work

Usage

What does boondoggle mean? A boondoggle is a government project considered to have little purpose or value and to be a waste of taxpayer money.More generally, it can refer to any work done simply to look busy. These senses of the word are based on its original, literal meaning: a decorative but otherwise useless cord of braided leather or plastic (or another such handicraft) stereotypically made by Scouts.Boondoggle can also be used as a verb meaning to deceive. All senses of the word are primarily used in the U.S. and Canada.Example: Critics called the mayor’s proposal for a tech hub nothing more than a boondoggle to please his political donors.

Other Word Forms

• boondoggler noun

Etymology

Origin of boondoggle

An Americanism dating back to 1930–35; of unknown origin

Example Sentences

As often happens too, we can pinpoint the exact moment and exact dynamics when a policy boondoggle was born.

From The Wall Street Journal

And no rules at the Guardian, apparently, regarding outrageous boondoggles and ocean-going junkets.

From The Wall Street Journal

The $500-million mixed-use project planned for the busy intersection of Sunset Boulevard and Highland Avenue “has been, at best, a complete boondoggle, and, at worst, a complete fraud,” Harris said in court documents.

From Los Angeles Times

“This is turning out to be a bigger boondoggle than was originally sold to the public,” said Hahn, who said she had not been told about the upgrade costs.

From Los Angeles Times

Opponents, including agencies in the delta and environmental advocates, say the project is an expensive boondoggle that would harm the environment and communities, and that the state should pursue other alternatives.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• betrayal
• deceit
• disinformation
• duplicity
• falsehood
• fraud
• hypocrisy
• lying
• mendacity
• treachery
• trickery
• untruth