People sometimes refer to an official organization or activity as a boondoggle when they think it wastes a lot of time and money and does not achieve much.
[US, informal, disapproval]
The new runway is a billion-dollar boondoggle.
boondoggle in British English
(ˈbuːnˌdɒɡəl) informal, mainly US and Canadian
verb
1. (intransitive)
to do futile and unnecessary work
noun
2.
a futile and unnecessary project or work
Derived forms
boondoggler (ˈboonˌdoggler)
noun
Word origin
C20: said to have been coined by R. H. Link, American scoutmaster
boondoggle in American English
(ˈbunˌdɑgəl; ˈbunˌdɔgəl)
US
noun
1.
a trifling or pointless project, expenditure, etc.; now esp., one financed by public funds
verb intransitiveWord forms: ˈboonˌdoggled or ˈboonˌdoggling
2.
to engage in a boondoggle
Derived forms
boondoggler (ˈboonˌdoggler)
noun
Word origin
orig. dial., ornamental leather strap; modern sense from c. 1935
Examples of 'boondoggle' in a sentence
boondoggle
`Sweeties I'll read as slow as I can though to try and boondoggle my time" she said.
Womack, Jack RANDOM ACTS OF SENSELESS VIOLENCE (1993)