On Thursday, December 19, 2002 2:57 PM, Robert Delfs, wrote:

> If you're from the West Coast (of the US) at least, then it was
> definitely DIDDLY-bopping with an "L", but I notice that the University
> of Virginia website on Vietnam war-era slang uses the spelling without
> an "L".   There are lots of citations on google with either spelling.
> I never heard it used except as DIDDLY, not "diddy"

Mate! I never heard it used in any way other than "Diddy", (With the bopping
added!).  :-)

(snip)
> That site doesn't give any derivation or etymology, but it's almost
> certainly black slang, probably out of east coast and/or motown
> (Detroit) music scene, circa early 1960s.  I always thought it meant
> listening to music "in your head"  while walking,  which in the context
> of the war would certainly imply walking "carelessly."

I have never, ever walked carelessly!:-)

Strike