boondoggle

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

A trip or journey, especially a recreational or otherwise desirable one. — A non-work trip away from a research station.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

A non-work excursion away from the station in US Antarctic English is a “boondoggle”, or a “jolly” for the Britons.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “boondoggle” mean?

A trip or journey, especially a recreational or otherwise desirable one. — A non-work trip away from a research station.

Is “boondoggle” formal or informal?

boondoggle is generally slang.