[Ads-l] Thoughts on "doodly-squat"

[Ben Zimmer]

I mention that example (along with others from Hurston) in my Strong
Language post.

On Tue, May 2, 2023 at 9:05 AM Virginia Euwer Wolff <veuwerwolff at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Zora Neale Hurston's 1935 book, Mules and Men, in Perennial Library's
> edition, 1990, page 64:
>
> " 'Oh, Ah ain't got doodley squat,' I countered."
>
> It's in Hurston's narrative voice, with that spelling and no hyphen.
>
> Virginia
>
> > On Apr 30, 2023, at 12:12 PM, Jonathan Lighter <wuxxmupp2000 at GMAIL.COM>
> wrote:
> >
> >> a serious scholar might spend years on the study of wretched subjects
> >
> > Never do this!
> >
> > JL
> >
> > On Sun, Apr 30, 2023 at 10:51 AM ADSGarson O'Toole <
> > adsgarsonotoole at gmail.com> wrote:
> >
> >> Impressive etymological excavation, Ben. Thanks for sharing.
> >> Garson
> >>
> >> On Sat, Apr 29, 2023 at 10:58 PM Ben Zimmer <bgzimmer at gmail.com> wrote:
> >>>
> >>> Of potential interest: a new post of mine on the Strong Language blog,
> >>> remembering Billy "The Kid" Emerson, who brought "squatitives" to the
> >>> masses with his 1955 song "Red Hot" ("My gal is red hot / Your gal
> ain't
> >>> doodly-squat").
> >>>
> >>>
> https://stronglang.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/your-gal-aint-doodly-squat/
> >>>
> >>> List regulars Jonathan Lighter and Larry Horn are liberally cited.
> >>>
> >>>
>

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