diddly-squat
See also: diddlysquat and diddly squat
English
Alternative forms
- diddly squat
- doodly-squat, doodley-squat
Etymology
The Random House Historical Dictionary of American Slang suggests that this is a variation of doodly-squat from 1934. Doodly-squat was originally the more common form, but diddly-squat overtook it in the mid-1970s, and is now four times more common in print.
Pronunciation
- (US) IPA(key): /ˈdɪd(ə)li skwɑt/
- (UK) IPA(key): /ˈdɪdlɪi.skwɒt/
- Rhymes: -ɒt
Noun
diddly-squat (uncountable)
- (US slang, often humorous) Nothing; nothing whatsoever.
See also
- Thesaurus:nothing