Scottish National Dictionary (1700–)
Hide Quotations Hide Etymology
About this entry:
First published 1952 (SND Vol. III).
This entry has not been updated since then but may contain minor corrections and revisions.
Quotation dates: 1915
[0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,1,0,0,0,0,0,0,0,0]
DIDDLE-DADDLE, v. and n.
1. v. To loiter, to dawdle; “to show great activity without accomplishing much” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 38). Known to Bnff.2, Abd.2, Abd.9 1940.Edb. 1915 T. W. Paterson Auld Saws 127:
Flings roun' the stoor, Gif ane should diddle-daddle Ocht yont the hoor.
2. n. “Great activity with little result; trifling activity” (Bnff. 1866 Gregor D. Bnff. 38; Bnff.2, Abd.2 1940).
[Reduplicative formation from Diddle, v.3, n.3]You may wish to vary the format shown below depending on the citation style used.
"Diddle-daddle v., n.". Dictionary of the Scots Language. 2004. Scottish Language Dictionaries Ltd. Accessed 14 Dec 2025 <http://www.dsl.ac.uk/entry/snd/diddledaddle>
