What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Diddle vs Diddly - What's the difference?

diddle | diddly |

As nouns the difference between diddle and diddly

is that diddle is in percussion, two consecutive notes played by the same hand (either RR or LL), similar to the drag, except that by convention diddles are played the same speed as the context in which they are placed while diddly is a small amount of no worth.

As a verb diddle

is to cheat; to swindle.

As an interjection diddly is

a written representation of a trill sound.

diddle

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • (music) In percussion, two consecutive notes played by the same hand (either RR or LL), similar to the drag, except that by convention diddles are played the same speed as the context in which they are placed
  • (slang, childish) The penis.
  • * 2011 , L. R. Baker, Wingnut: Operation Payback (page 104)
    • Paul was the first one to unzip his pants, take out his diddle , and make himself ready to pee on the wire.

    Verb

    (en-verb)
  • to cheat; to swindle
  • to have sex with
  • to masturbate (especially of women)
  • to waste time
  • To totter, like a child learning to walk; to daddle.
  • * Frances Quarles
    • And, when his forward strength began to bloom, / To see him diddle up and down the Room!

    Synonyms

    * See also * See also

    Anagrams

    *

    diddly

    English

    Etymology 1

    Short for diddly-squat

    Noun

    (diddlies)
  • A small amount of no worth.
    • Synonyms
    *See also .

    Etymology 2

    Imitating a sound

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • 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

    (diddlies)
  • penis
  • * 1968 , , 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 penis."
    Synonyms
    *See also .