According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the phrase "the boondocks" is derived from the Tagalog word bundok, which means mountain. ... American soldiers stationed in the Philippines adopted the word in the early 1900s, shifting the meaning to refer to "an isolated or wild region."

Where did the term in the boondocks come from?

The boondocks is an American expression from the Tagalog (Filipino) word bundók ("mountain"). It originally referred to a remote rural area, but now, is often applied to an out-of-the-way area considered backward and unsophisticated by city-folk.

What does going to the boondocks mean?

an uninhabited area with thick natural vegetation, as a backwoods or marsh. a remote rural area: The company moved to a small town out in the boondocks.