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boon'·dog·gle

1. a product of simple manual skill, as a plaited leather cord for the neck or a knife sheath, made typically by a camper or a scout.

2. work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy.

3. a project funded by the federal government out of political favoritism that is of no real value to the community or the nation.

Origin: 1930–35, Americanism; said to have been coined by R. H. Link, American scoutmaster, as name for def. 1]