[Ads-l] Antedating of "Diddly Squat" and "Doodly Squat"

[Ben Zimmer]

Thanks for these great cites, Fred. I wrote about "doodly/diddly squat" in
a Strong Language post in 2023:

https://stronglang.wordpress.com/2023/04/29/your-gal-aint-doodly-squat/

I did mention the 1949 "diddley squat" example in my post, but the 1925
cite for "doodly squat" is new to me and does call into question the idea
that the expression might have originated in central Florida as documented
by Zora Neale Hurston.

--Ben

On Mon, Oct 6, 2025 at 10:23 AM Shapiro, Fred <
00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:

> doodly squat (OED 1934)  1925 Stanly News-Herald (Albemarle, N.C.) 1 Sept
> 1/3 (Newspapers.com)  Grover Thompson known as "Doodly Squat," will play
> drums in the orchestra.
>
> diddly squat (OED 1963)  1949 Miami Herald 16 Feb. 7-D/2 (Newspapers.com)
> Now, with regard to the keys, we have no alibi.  Stamding entirely on our
> own, we didn't do woth a diddley squat.
>
> NOTE: Ben Zimmer has written that "doodly squat" originated in African
> American usage.  I am not sure that the citations bear this out.
> Regardless of how it originated, "doodly squat" chas been used extensively
> by African Americans.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
>

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