Word of the Day

: January 25, 2008

foozle

verb FOO-zul

What It Means

: to manage or play awkwardly : bungle

foozle in Context

Carl thought he had an easy putt lined up for a birdie, but instead he foozled the shot and hooked the ball to the left.

Did You Know?

"Foozle" dates only to the late 19th century, but its origins are obscure. The German dialect verb "fuseln" ("to work carelessly") could figure in its history, but that speculation has never been proven. Not particularly common today, "foozle" still holds a special place in the hearts, minds, and vocabularies of many golfers. In golf, to foozle a shot is to bungle it and a foozle is a bungled shot. In a Century magazine piece from 1899 called "Two Players and their Play," Beatrice Hanscom reveals more of golf's specialized vocabulary:

She tops her ball; then divots fly;
In bunkers long she stays;
She foozles all along the course
In most astounding ways:
In sooth, it is an eery thing
The way Priscilla plays.