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Diddly vs Tiddly - What's the difference?

diddly | tiddly |

As nouns the difference between diddly and tiddly

is that diddly is a small amount of no worth while tiddly is an alcoholic beverage.

As an interjection diddly

is a written representation of a trill sound.

As an adjective tiddly is

drunk.

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 .

    tiddly

    English

    Etymology 1

    Noun

    (tiddlies)
  • (slang) An alcoholic beverage.
  • * 2002 , Pat Patterson, SpiritPath , iUniverse, ISBN 9780595216710, p. 429:
    • As far as he could tell, except for her evening ‘tiddlies’ , two rather hefty drinks taken ‘neat’ without the diluting benefit of water or ice, his mother had very nearly stopped her drinking.
  • * 2010 , Jeff Jacobson, Wormfood , Medallion Press, ISBN 9781605424293, p. 54:
    • Well, hell, I figured we’d just save that money, get us a few tiddlies at Fat Ernst’s instead.
  • * 2012 , Johnny Mack Hood, Cannibal Caper , AuthorHouse, ISBN 9781468557312, p. 101:
    • JC heard him remark, “I need a bit of the tiddly' my dear. It’s been a hard day.” '''''Tiddly , hm, must be an English drink?

    Adjective

    (er)
  • drunk
    • Synonyms
    * tipsy
    Related terms
    * tiddlywinks

    Etymology 2

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (colloquial) tiny or little bit
    • Jeff wouldn't slow down, not even a tiddly bit.