diddly-squat

American

[did-lee-skwot] / ˈdɪd liˌskwɒt /

noun

Slang.

a minimum amount or degree; the least bit (usually used in the negative).

This coin collection isn't worth diddly-squat in today's market.

diddly-squat British

/ ˌdɪdlɪˈskwɒt /

pronoun

informal (usually used with a negative) anything

that doesn't mean diddly-squat

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of diddly-squat

Probably euphemistic variant of diddlyshit

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“China’s the second-largest economy in the world, and we get diddly-squat from China,” or very little, he added.

From Seattle Times • Aug. 20, 2022

Marilyn Monroe was a huge movie star, but she owned diddly-squat.

From Slate • Dec. 18, 2013

And for my second Marilyn bet-you-didn’t-see-that-coming revelation … Marilyn Monroe was a huge movie star, but she owned diddly-squat.

From Slate • Jan. 5, 2012

Lots of quantifiable data that means diddly-squat to student OR teachers.

From New York Times • Jun. 24, 2010

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023