Doodly

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Used informally to mean not a single bit of anything, as in the phrase doodly-squat meaning absolutely nothing
2. A colloquial way of saying zero or none whatsoever, typically in the expression that something amounts to no value at all
3. Slang emphasizing a complete absence of something, most often found in the phrase that a person has squat or nothing to show

Etymology: "Doodly" is a playful formation: the noun "doodle" plus the diminutive-style suffix "-y," the same ending that turns "daddy" or "pretty" into affectionate or informal forms. Its base, "doodle," is a word for idle, absent-minded scribbling, and the suffix shifts it into a casual, slightly comic register. The word's real interest lies in its use as an intensifier, as in "doodly-squat," where the expressive coinage keeps a whimsical edge even though its meaning is essentially nothing at all. Where the word is used, its tone is usually light and colloquial rather than technical.