skunkworks

See also: skunk works

English

Alternative forms

skunk works

Etymology

skunk +‎ works, since c. 1943. Skunk Works was the nickname of Lockheed Advanced Development Projects, eventually gaining official recognition. The name is derived from a mysterious, foul-smelling “skonk oil”-brewing facility called the Skonk Works in the comic strip L'il Abner by Al Capp.[1]

Noun

skunkworks (plural skunkworks)

A loosely organized research and development team or facility.
- 1998 January 19, Teresa Riordan, “When it comes to number of patents, the petroleum industry is a veritable gusher”, in The New York Times‎, ISSN 0362-4331:
  Not all ideas coming out of the Phillips skunkworks have been success stories, of course. A polyethelene saddle never even made it through the patent process.
- 2020 July 10, Heather Stewart, “Downing Street seeks data expert to set up ‘skunkworks’ in No 10”, in The Guardian‎:
  Downing Street is seeking applications for a £135,000-a-year data expert to set up a “skunkworks” in No 10, in the latest evidence of Dominic Cummings’ Whitehall shake-up.

References

George Tesar (2003) Strategic Technology Management: Building Bridges Between Sciences, page 117:
Legend goes that one of Lockheed's engineers asked, "What the heck is Kelly [a Lockheed engineer] doing in there?" "Oh, he's stirring up some kind of brew," was the answer. This brought to mind Al Capp's popular comic strip, Li'l Abner and the hairy Indian who regularly stirred up the brew, throwing in skunks, old shoes, and other likely material to make his 'Kickapoo Joy Juice'. Thus, the skunk works was born and named.