A Boondoggle is a North American term referring to the performance of useless or trivial tasks whilst appearing to be doing something important. Time wasting is a key characteristic of this art. The term may also refer to the lanyards worn on the uniform of a boy scout, or to similiar small decorative objects.
American scoutmaster Robert H. Link is credited with coining the term. Originally the term was boon doogle referred to a bone or metal ring used to hold a scout's scarf [1].
Boondoggle came into common usage after a 1935 New York Times headline claimed that over $3 million had been spent teaching the jobless how to make boon doggles[2].
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