English

Noun

diddly ‎(plural diddlies)

1. A small amount of no worth.

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:modicum.

Etymology 2

Imitating a sound

Interjection

diddly

1. A written representation of a trill sound.
   • 1993, Hugh Hood, Be sure to close your eyes: a novel

     On the handcar mornings or evenings he would amuse his companion by pumping away to a triple-tongued pattern, which he would hum emphatically as they rolled along: "dum diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly dee dee-dum dum diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly diddly dee..."

   • 2005, Gordon Giltrap, Total Giltrap: Guitar Encounters of the Fingerstyle Kind

     ...When combined with the following picked note, this gives a rhythmic 'diddly-dum' effect.

   • 2008, Kristie Theobald, Irish Angels

     It's easy enough for him to go “diddly-diddly-diddly-dum” a thousand and one times, whereas with me it's “diddly-diddly-diddly- omigodIcan'tbreathe-dum!”)

Etymology 3

Possibly shortened from diddlywhacker.

Noun

diddly ‎(plural diddlies)

1. (slang, sometimes childish) ****
   • 1968, Monica Dickens, The Landlord's Daughter, Doubleday & Company (1968), page 268:

     "My child is going to be taught all about sex as soon as he can understand. Mother-in-law is always clucking to him about his diddly. No, no, I say, you must call it ****."

Synonyms

• See also Wikisaurus:****.