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jack squat. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
jack squat, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
jack squat in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
Related to both jack shit and squat as in diddly-squat; apparently a blend of them. Attested since the 1970s; especially widely popularized by a Saturday Night Live sketch of 1993, "Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween."
Noun
jack squat (uncountable)
- Synonym of jack shit.
1979, The Professional Geologist, volume 35, American Institute of Professional Geologists, page 7:[…] into the fracas with nonsensical gibberish, pretending to be speaking intelligently in Tigrinya. We had a lot of fun like that. The class also enjoyed learning American phrases. One of their favorites was "Diddly Jack Squat".
1989, Jim Jr Leonard, V & V Only: A Play in Two Acts, Samuel French Inc, →ISBN, pages 49-50:ANTONIO. I seen this program one time with people from Oklahoma and these places ridin' around in their Model T cars with their grandmother and the mattresses piled ten feet in the fuckin' air. I don't feel nothin' for them. I feel jack squat for them people. Hell, they were movin'. They had a damn car. The ground's right below 'em—stick a seed in it, grow somethin' to eat … ! But here, unless you ate garbage—which some people did, and some still doin' it—there's not anyplace you can go to a bush and pick berries off it for nourishment. Christ, it was chaos, the fuckin' depression.
1989, Jimmy Chesire, Home Boy: A Novel, New American Library, →ISBN, page 161:Oh, sure, I say and hand it over.
"When is it?" I ask. He's about to send me on my way and I don't know jack squat about it.
1993, “Matt Foley: A Scary Story on Halloween”, in Saturday Night Live, season 19, spoken by Matt Foley (Chris Farley):Mischievous teenager. Uh, really, I don't know.
Matt Foley: "I don't know." Well, that and a nickel'll get ya a hot cup of jack squat!