Money obtained dishonestly, such as bribes or graft; also can mean a crowd or group of people.
From Dutch 'boedel' (property, goods), brought to America by Dutch settlers. It shifted meaning from general goods to ill-gotten money in 19th-century American slang.
Politicians accused of 'boodle' in the 1800s gave us the term 'boondoggle'—worthless projects done to hide or use up that corrupt money without anyone noticing.
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