diddly-squat

[ostap77]

"He has been collecting coins but many aren't worth diddly-squat."

"diddly-squat=nothing at all"? Is it used correctly in the context? Wouldn't it be double negative in a way?

 

[Munch]

"He has been collecting coins but many aren't worth diddly-squat."

"diddly-squat=nothing at all"? Is it used correctly in the context? Wouldn't it be double negative in a way?

First, "diddly-squat" is usually (always?) used in the negative - your example is correct usage as far as I understand the term.

"Diddly-squat" means very, very little, but "not worth diddly-squat" is not necessarily a double negative. It could be interpreted as, "Not even worth diddly-squat", or in other words, worth nothing.

In any case, double negatives are often used in informal English, and "diddly-squat" is certainly informal.

 

[ostap77]

First, "diddly-squat" is usually (always?) used in the negative - your example is correct usage as far as I understand the term.

"Diddly-squat" means very, very little, but "not worth diddly-squat" is not necessarily a double negative. It could be interpreted as, "Not even worth diddly-squat", or in other words, worth nothing.

In any case, double negatives are often used in informal English, and "diddly-squat" is certainly informal.

Do we use a double negative sometimes to stress negation?

"I haven't got nothing to say about this." Is it informally used to say that he couldn't have said anything because he doesn't know it?

 

[Munch]

Do we use a double negative sometimes to stress negation?

"I haven't got nothing to say about this." Is it informally used to say that he couldn't have said anything because he doesn't know it?

We? Well, I don't use it, except as a joke. Some dialects use double negation though. I don't feel qualified to discuss it because it is not part of my natural speech.