[identity profile] trellia-chan.livejournal.com posting in [community profile] 1word1day
boondoggle: [boon-dog-uh l]

Noun:

1. A product of simple manual skill such as a plaited leather cord necklace, often made by a camper or a boy or girl scout.

2. Work of little to no value that is done to keep or look busy.  Busywork.

3. A project funded by the federal government that is of no real value to the community or the nation.


Verb:

4. (used with a person or object)  To deceive or try to deceive.

5. (used without a person or object) To do work of no value just to keep or look busy.


Origin:  First known use, America 1930-1935.  For definition 1, this was said to have been coined by an American scoutmaster named R.H. Link.

(no subject)

Date: 2015-07-16 07:28 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] theidolhands.livejournal.com
I certainly knew about #3 (#5), did not realize there was that many more!

The etymology suggest that someone wasn't impressed with that scoutmaster's talents! Ha, ha, ha!

(no subject)

Date: 2015-07-16 02:37 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] prettygoodword.livejournal.com
Huh -- I've usually heard (misheard?) #1 as boondongle.

---L.

(no subject)

Date: 2015-07-18 02:30 am (UTC)
med_cat: (Default)
From: [personal profile] med_cat
What an interesting variety of meanings! I'd only seen #4 used
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