What it means
A bodge is a rough fix done fast with whatever's lying about. It works, sort of, but only if nobody inspects it too hard. As a verb, to bodge means you've patched something up in a slapdash, make-do way instead of doing it properly. A bodge job is dodgy, scruffy, and somehow still hanging on.
Usage examples
"The tap’s fixed, technically, but it’s a total bodge, mate: one screw, loads of gaffer tape, and it falls off if you sneeze."
"The shelf's only up because of a proper bodge with three screws and a prayer, don't lean on it."
"He bodged the leak with gaffer tape, and somehow it held the whole winter without dripping."
"Don't tell the landlord it's fixed, I only bodged the boiler so it'd survive the weekend."
"That cable setup is a pure bodge, but fair play, the telly's actually working."
Where it comes from
Bodge is solidly British and has been around since at least the 20th century, used for clumsy or makeshift work. It likely grew out of older dialect use around bungling or botched workmanship, and it sits close to botch in meaning, though the exact historical line between them isn't nailed down cleanly.
Other ways to say it
Editors of this term
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