An object of fear or alarm; a bogey:one of the favourite bugaboos, the ticking biological clock...
On the ground at Italy's Bologna International Airport, I ran into the same old bugaboos that make travel back home such a hassle.
One of the main bugaboos that Americans have about national healthcare is the fear that it means long waiting times for office visits and elective surgery.
On a related matter, lack of socialization is the bugaboo of the anti-homeschooler.
Origin
Mid 18th century: probably of Celtic origin and related to Welsh bwci bo 'bogey, the Devil', bwci 'hobgoblin' and Cornish bucca.