skidoosh

Benjamin Zimmer bgzimmer at BABEL.LING.UPENN.EDU
Wed Jun 11 15:46:07 UTC 2008


On Wed, Jun 11, 2008 at 11:06 AM, Mark Peters <markpeters33 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Marc Velasco <marcjvelasco at GMAIL.COM> wrote:
> >
> > also related to 'squadoosh' (as heard on ESPN's PTI).  squadoosh
> > means something like zero.
>
> I've wondered about squadoosh... I've only heard it on PTI too. Could it be related
> to squat too? What a great word.

No doubt influenced by "squat" (in usage if not origin), since it
works like other "squatitives"/"vulgar minimizers". Early cites from
Usenet:

-----
rec.sport.boxing, Feb 11 1996
Should be interesting, despite the fact that the title doesn't mean squadoosh.
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alt.tv.seinfeld, Oct 18 1996
These "scandals" you love to enumerate don't mean squadoosh as far as any of
our daily lives are concerned.
-----
rec.pets.dogs.behavior, Jan 27 1997
That turd is proof that lots of letters after your name don't mean squadoosh.
-----
alt.sports.football.pro.tampabay-bucs, Mar 19 1997
Mike Wolfstone (who apparently doen't know squadoosh about televised
football)...
-----

--Ben Zimmer

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