different between kludge vs bodge

English

Alternative forms

• cludge
• kluge

Etymology

Perhaps from British military slang, possibly based on a Scots word kludge or kludgie (“common toilet”), or perhaps from German klug (“clever”). Alternatively, possibly related to Polish klucz (“a key, a hint, a main point”) and Russian ???? (klju?, “key, clue”).

Alternatively, perhaps from (a form related to) Germanic words such as Dutch Low Saxon klütje (“(little) dumpling, clod”), Dutch kluit(je) or Jutland Danish klyt (“piece of bad workmanship, klud(g)e”); compare and standard Danish kludder (“mess, disorder”). (Compare klutz.)

There is evidence that kluge (which see) was once a separate word with similar meaning but separate derivation, but the spelling kludge was widely popularized in the US by a 1962 Datamation article on “How to Design a Kludge”, and since then the two words have often been used as alternative spellings of each other.

According to the OED, an "invented word" influenced by bodge and fudge.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kl?d?/, /klu?d?/
• Rhymes: -?d?, -u?d?

Noun

kludge (plural kludges)

1. (informal, electronics engineering) An improvised device, typically crudely constructed to test the validity of a principle before doing a finished design.
2. (informal) Any construction or practice, typically crude yet effective, designed to solve a problem temporarily or expediently.
3. (informal, computing) An amalgamated mass of unrelated parts.
4. (informal, computing) A badly written or makeshift piece of software; a hack.

Usage notes

• Today, kluge and kludge are often used as alternative spellings of the same word, although a distinction in usage can perhaps be detected: in the UK, the connotation of kludge is almost wholly negative (as befits its alleged derivation), while US usage of kluge, following its alleged German derivation, admits some fondness or admiration for the cleverness or functionality underlying a working klu(d)ge.

Synonyms

• (temporary solution): see Thesaurus:workaround

Related terms

• kludgy

Translations

Verb

kludge (third-person singular simple present kludges, present participle kludging, simple past and past participle kludged)

1. (informal) To build or use a kludge.

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:kludge

References

• Oxford English Dictionary, 1884–1928, and First Supplement, 1933.

Further reading

• kludge on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• kluged

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /b?d?/
• Rhymes: -?d?

Etymology 1

From Middle English bocchen (“to mend, patch up, repair”), of uncertain origin. Perhaps from Middle Dutch botsen, butsen, boetsen (“to repair, patch”) (Dutch botsen (“to strike, beat, knock together”)), related to Old High German b?zan (“to beat”), See beat; or perhaps from Old English b?tettan (“to improve, repair”), Old English b?tian (“to get better”). More at boot.

Verb

bodge (third-person singular simple present bodges, present participle bodging, simple past and past participle bodged)

1. (Britain) To do a clumsy or inelegant job, usually as a temporary repair; mend, patch up, repair.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:kludge
2. To work green wood using traditional country methods; to perform the craft of a bodger.

Translations

Noun

bodge (plural bodges)

1. A clumsy or inelegant job, usually a temporary repair; a patch, a repair.

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:workaround

Derived terms

• bodge job

Related terms

• bodger
• botch

Translations

Etymology 2

Unknown

Noun

bodge (plural bodges)

1. (historical) The water in which a smith would quench items heated in a forge.
2. (South East England) A four-wheeled handcart used for transporting goods. Also, a homemade go-cart.

Adjective

bodge (comparative more bodge, superlative most bodge)

1. (slang, Northern Ireland) Insane, off the rails.

Anagrams

• bedog, begod