Woggles

Part of speech: noun, verb

Definitions

1. Small wooden or plastic rings used to fasten the ends of cords or ropes in activities such as scouting; to move or wobble with a slight irregular motion; decorative or functional fasteners securing rope loops
2. Devices typically crafted from wood or similar material employed for securing knot ends in outdoor tasks; a slight shaking or irregular movement; circular items used to tighten or hold cordage in place
3. Objects usually made of wood or plastic designed to hold ropes together in knotwork; a subtle rocking or oscillating motion; items utilized for fastening loops of rope or string securely

Etymology: Woggles are the leather or wooden rings Scouts slide over the neck of their kerchief to hold it in place, and the story of their name begins with a piece of American slang. In 1923, Bill Shankley coined "woggle" in Australia, shortening the earlier American "boondoggle," a word meaning a useless or make-work task, often a handicraft project. Scouting's knotted leather and plaited cords were, in a sense, exactly that kind of craft, so the joke stuck. The word was then taken up by the Scouting movement itself. From 1929, Robert Baden-Powell used it in "Scouting for Boys," 14th edition, which helped spread it through the movement. The plural "woggles" is simply the usual form of the noun, and the verb sense, to fasten or fix something with a woggle, follows from the same object.

Synonyms: rings, slides, neckerchief slides, fasteners, clasps