diddlysquat

1 9.9

A very small amount or nothing at all

noun
/ˈdɪdliˌskwɑt/

Informal

: nada

He claimed to know the answer, but he didn't have diddlysquat of useful information.
know diddlysquat

Examples

After all the effort we put in, we ended up with diddlysquat to show for it.
I say that big talk's worth diddlysquat.

The Outlaw Josey Wales (1976)
I had the best grades in the class and I didn't get diddlysquat.

Austin Powers in Goldmember (2002)
In Columbus, angels don't do diddlysquat.

Fiction book (1998)
We don't have a blood test... ...don't know how it's transmitted, diddlysquat.

Outbreak (1995)
Despite all the promises, the project resulted in diddlysquat and wasted time.

Synonyms

squat

vsdiddlysquat

Slang

54 8.1

An amount that is nothing

is used affirmatively or negatively for the same small amount not only in negatives

jack

vsdiddlysquat

Slang

43 9.5

A very small, worthless amount people talk about in negative sentences

is used in broader contexts rather than mainly in negatives

diddley

vsdiddlysquat

Informal

7 9.9

A very small amount, almost nothing

uses the more common spelling and two-part structure instead of the variant

diddly

vsdiddlysquat

Informal

4 9.9

A very small amount, almost nothing

is the longer two-part expression rather than the short nickname form

diddly-squat

vsdiddlysquat

Informal

3 9.9

Nothing at all

is written as a single compound word with the same meaning

doodly-squat

vsdiddlysquat

Slang

2 9.9

A very small or worthless amount

uses the standard single-word spelling while keeping the same sense

tinker's damn

vsdiddlysquat

NSFW

2 9.9

Something of little or no worth

is the exact tiny amount idea rather than a dismissive idiom about worth

diddy

vsdiddlysquat

1 9.9

A very small thing that is not important or valuable

is focused on an amount or quantity rather than a general small object or thing

diddly-shit

vsdiddlysquat

Offensive

1 9.9

A very small amount that is almost nothing

is the non-emphatic general term rather than an emphatic slangy form

diddlyshit

vsdiddlysquat

Offensive

9.9

A very small amount or nothing at all

is the form used in the main entry rather than the blunt spoken variant

doit

vsdiddlysquat

Archaic

9.9

A very small amount of money used to say something is not worth much

is used as a direct expression of nothing not mainly just figuratively

Antonyms

significant

∞ 2.5

Important and big enough to make a difference

abundance

91 3.3

A large amount of something, more than you need

How Much

a lot

∞ 1.0

some

∞ 1.0

a bit

∞ 1.0

diddlysquat

Informal

1 9.9

nothing

17 1.0

Surface Forms

diddlysquat singular

diddlysquats plural

Morphology

diddlysquat = diddly + squat (opaque) = diddly + squat

A slang compound of two informal words whose idiomatic emphatic meaning 'nothing at all' is not reliably derivable by a B1 learner from the components.

Etymology

Diddlysquat is a playful way to say 'nothing' or 'very little'. It joins the silly diddly, a tiny-sounding word, with squat, which in slang can mean 'nothing', so together it suggests 'not a thing' or 'no value'.