[BOON-do'-gahl, BOON-dog'-ahl]
noun
1. work of little or no value done merely to look busy: "As an intern, I was always assigned the boondoggle."
2. a braided leather cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament
intransitive verb
3. to do useless, wasteful, or trivial work
additional noun form: boondoggler
Origin:
Approximately 1935; origin uncertain, but said to have been coined by Robert H. Link, American scoutmaster, referring to the braided lanyard made by boy scouts.
"Mayor Bloomberg has begun to sound like some smarmy salesman desperate to force his West Side stadium deal on us all without allowing anyone to examine the fine print.
'Sign now or we lose the Olympics,' Bloomberg shrieks all over town. 'The future of New York is at stake!'
His dire warnings are echoed by his sidekick on this $2.2 billion boondoggle, Gov. Pataki."
"10 reasons to spike football stadium," New York Daily News (May 24, 2005).
"But make no mistake -- the Capitol Visitors Center has always been a bad idea. Originally, it was conceived by Democrats as some sort of homage to the congressional giants -- and those of lesser stature -- of a bygone era. Regrettably, the Republican majority in Congress eventually authorized this boondoggle. And with the present emphasis on safety, it will, whatever the cost, continue until it's completed.
(We just ask that when they get around to decorating the interior to show some restraint in lionizing our congressional forebears. This means no toga-draped marble statues."
"A Capitol boondoggle," The Washington Times (May 20, 2005).
"Confusing for AT&T shareholders, frustrating for many AT&T customers, a mixed blessing for AT&T competitors and a boon, if sometimes a boondoggle, for a small army of lawyers, consultants and stockbrokers."
Bernard Wysocki. [On breakup of AT&T] Wall Street Journal (April 8, 1985).
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