diddly squat
Nothing, or so little it might as well be nothing.
Also called diddly-squat, doodly-squat.
Updated September 21, 2026
diddly squat pronunciation
/DID-lee skwot/
Meaning
Diddly squat is a loud way to say zero. You hear it when somebody knows nothing, owns nothing, or gets paid nothing for the trouble. Rural Southern talk loves it in lines like "ain't worth diddly squat," especially when fussing about junk, wages, or empty promises.
How folks use it
- “He don't know diddly squat about fixing a carburetor.”
- “That old lawnmower ain't worth diddly squat anymore.”
Origin and etymology
Grew from earlier doodly-squat, recorded in Zora Neale Hurston's 1934 Southern Black English fiction. Diddly-squat is likely a softer spin on that line (and on diddly-shit). It spread through American slang and stuck hard in country talk as a colorful word for nothing.
Frequently asked questions
Can you use it without "ain't"?
Sure. "Knows diddly squat" works fine. Negatives just make the nothing land harder.