What it means
Means properly tiny and a bit cute, like something that’s shrunk in the wash. You’ll use it for babies, pets, portions, or any little gadget that looks comically small. Can also tag a person as a bit timid or useless, but usually in a soft, affectionate way, not proper nasty. Very northern, very everyday.
Usage examples
"Our kid turned up with a diddy little can of lager, all proud. Couldn’t even crack it open. That new kitten’s diddy as well, fits in me hand."
"Look at the diddy little shoes they make for newborns, I cannot cope, they fit in the palm of your hand."
"She's got this diddy little backpack for the festival, proper tiny but she's obsessed with it."
"Give us that diddy screwdriver, not the big one. The little lad's fingers are too diddy to grip owt else."
"Aw, look at that diddy little jacket on him. He looks like he's off to work a tiny office job."
Where it comes from
Northern English, big around Manchester and Liverpool, for something properly tiny and usually a bit cute, a diddy little dog, a diddy cup of tea. Probably a baby-talk echo of little, doubled up for affection. There is warmth in it, the word you reach for when small is not an insult but a reason to go aww.
Other ways to say it
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