Dittlers and dits

Wed Apr 2 17:59:07 UTC 2008

Well, of course, "doodl(e)y-squat" is the correct form, if you're a
black Saint Louisan. OTOH, I have the impression that the form with
[I] is far more widespread, perhaps even among the colored. Else,
Ellis McDaniel might well have given himself the nom de blues of
"Bo-Doodley."

-Wilson

On Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 7:18 AM, Dennis Preston <preston at msu.edu> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
>  Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>  Poster:       Dennis Preston <preston at MSU.EDU>
>
> Subject:      Re: Dittlers and dits
>  -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
>  By the time you get to "tiddly," you are creeping up on US
>  "diddley-(squat, shit)" = "worthless, meaningless, next to nothing,"
>  perhaps from a size association. (That ain't worth diddley. I don't
>  give a diddley.), but DARE does not show any regional distribution
>  for it, although it shows "doodley-(squat, shit)" as chiefly South
>  and South Midland. When I say "doodley" here in Michigan (Your
>  dissertation ain't worth doodley"), my local students always correct
>  me to "diddley." (Course, it don't make their dissertations worth no
>  more.)
>
>  dInIs
>
>
>
>  >---------------------- Information from the mail header
>  >-----------------------
>  >Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>  >Poster:       Lynne Murphy <m.l.murphy at SUSSEX.AC.UK>
>  >Subject:      Re: Dittlers and dits
>  >-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>  >
>  >This looks like it could be related to Scots (and perhaps more general
>  >northern) English _tiddler_, which means a small fish--presumably one you'd
>  >throw back if you caught it (maybe it says this in DARE, but my copy's at
>  >the office, and I'm not).  From this comes the BrE dialectal adjective
>  >_tiddly_ meaning small, which I found is applied a lot to premature babies,
>  >as is _diddy_, which is northern BrE, and again looks like your word...
>  >
>  >These words were mentioned on my blog here:
>  >http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com/2008/01/baby-talk-introducing-grover.html
>  >
>  >Are they're related or is there some sound symbolism at work here?  I've
>  >heard "/I/ = 'small'", but not "alveolar stop = 'small'".  Or are they all
>  >coincidental baby-talkish variations on _little_?
>  >
>  >Lynne
>  >
>  >--On Thursday, March 27, 2008 11:53 am -0400 "Baker, John"
>  ><JMB at STRADLEY.COM> wrote:
>  >
>  >>          Not known to me from growing up and raising chickens in Adair
>  >>  County, Kentucky, two counties northwest of Wayne County.
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>  John Baker
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>  -----Original Message-----
>  >>  From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
>  >>  Of Grant Barrett
>  >>  Sent: Thursday, March 27, 2008 11:24 AM
>  >>  To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>  >>  Subject: Dittlers and dits
>  >>
>  >>  The fellow below submitted the following to the American Dialect Society
>  >>  web site a while back. I sent him an email asking if he'd like to be on
>  >>  my radio show. He said yes and his second email follows the first below.
>  >>
>  >>  I found one other use of it so far, in Urban Dictionary of all places:
>  >>
>  >>  http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=dittler
>  >>
>  >>  Otherwise, I've found no use of it elsewhere in the usual databases and
>  >>  web sites. Does anyone have anything on this? I've forwarded it to Joan
>  >>  Hall at DARE for the record.
>  >>
>  >>  Thanks,
>  >>
>  >>  Grant
>  >>
>  >>  Begin forwarded message:
>  >>
>  >>>  From: "J. Fred Calkins" <jfredcalkins at earthlink.net>
>  >>>  Date: November 25, 2007 13:21:05 EST
>  >>>  To: <woty at americandialect.org>
>  >>>  Subject: A regional word
>  >>>
>  >>>  When I moved into south eastern KY I discovered a dialectal word which
>  >>
>  >>>  has caused me great curiosity. Perhaps the American Dialect Society
>  >>>  can shed some light on the origins and extent of this particular word.
>  >>
>  >>>  'dit' or 'dittler' is the preferred word to refer to baby chickens or
>  >>>  other dry land domestic fowl. If referencing other than chicken the
>  >>>  tendency is to put a prefix on the word (turkey-dit). I have
>  >>>  determined this word to be normal in Bell, Harlan, and Letcher
>  >>>  counties. It is understood in Wayne, McCreary, Whitley, Knox, Clay and
>  >>
>  >>>  Leslie counties. It seems to be Normal in the western tip of Virginia
>  >>>  but fades when we get across the line into TN. I am curious how far
>  >>>  east it goes. Since the words are so entrenched in this segment of
>  >>>  Appalachian culture I am suspecting some Old World connections.
>  >>>  Alternatively it may come from the American Indians. If you can shed
>  >>>  any light on these terms I would be very grateful. Even though I grew
>  >>>  up calling baby chickens 'chicks' (in central Michigan) I have found
>  >>>  this an easy term to add to my vocabulary.  I did not even blink when
>  >  >> someone asked about my children with the phrase 'How are your dits?'
>  >>>  Perhaps you have some research or chronicling of this useful word.
>  >>>  Fred
>  >>
>  >>
>  >>>  From: "J. Fred Calkins" <jfredcalkins at earthlink.net>
>  >>>  Date: December 27, 2007 06:25:28 EST
>  >>>  To: Grant Barrett <gbarrett at worldnewyork.org>
>  >>>  Subject: Re: A regional word
>  >>>
>  >>>  Grant, you don't offer me a bit of insight to this interesting word
>  >>>  yet offer me an opportunity to discuss it on air. I am what we call in
>  >>
>  >>>  the mountains a preacher, I take any opportunity to talk I get. I do
>  >>>  try to keep to the subject but need to warn you that gospel idioms
>  >>>  thoroughly infect both my thoughts and words. It was, after all,
>  >>>  during my pastoral visitation rounds that I learned this word.
>  >>>  Another point of information you need to be aware of - the most common
>  >>
>  >>>  chickens in this area are game. The abhorrence of some toward that
>  >>>  'sport' is indicted by the laws against fighting chickens (there are
>  >>>  no laws against raising them). I serve a district of Seventh-day
>  >>>  Adventist churches, most of which are along the southern half of I-75
>  >>>  in Kentucky.
>  >>>
>  >>>  Have a great day,  Fred
>  >>
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>  >>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>  >
>  >
>  >
>  >Dr M Lynne Murphy
>  >Senior Lecturer in Linguistics and English Language
>  >Arts B135
>  >University of Sussex
>  >Brighton BN1 9QN
>  >
>  >phone: +44-(0)1273-678844
>  >http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blogspot.com
>  >
>  >------------------------------------------------------------
>  >The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>
>
>  --
>  Dennis R. Preston
>  University Distinguished Professor
>  Department of English
>  Morrill Hall 15-C
>  Michigan State University
>  East Lansing, MI 48864 USA
>
>
>
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>  The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>

--
All say, "How hard it is that we have to die"---a strange complaint to
come from the mouths of people who have had to live.
-----
 -Sam'l Clemens

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