Boondoggle origin

Posted by Bob on February 05, 2003

In Reply to: Word origin posted by Thomas Healey on February 05, 2003

: Naval word (Boondogle)

It's a word with a definite, known (but not naval) origin. From the dictionary:

Main Entry: boon·dog·gle
Pronunciation: 'bün-"dä-g&l, -"do-
Function: noun
Etymology: coined by Robert H. Link died 1957 American scoutmaster
Date: 1929
1 : a braided cord worn by Boy Scouts as a neckerchief slide, hatband, or ornament
2 : a wasteful or impractical project or activity often involving graft
- boondoggle intransitive verb
- boon·dog·gler /-g(&-)l&r/ noun