# boondoggle

> English word · Noun · IPA /ˈbuːndɒɡl̩/ · frequency rank #77,470

## Definitions
1. A braided ring to hold a neckerchief.
2. A waste of time or money; a pointless activity.
3. A non-work trip away from a research station.

## 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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/boondoggle