I was watching a local PBS station program, "Oregon Art Beat," when a musician played an obscure instrument called a diddle-harp. Ah, thought I, a perfect Bluffing Game word - except I can't find any hits on Google, Yahoo, Dictionary dot com, or Ask! The performer was harp-guitarist John Doan, http://www.johndoan.com/
so he probably knew of what he spoke, but this is really obscure! Any help, y'all?

Perhaps a musician would be able to help? I couldn't find much, either, Asa. It's not defined in the online OED. This was all I could find, and it's not much.

Interesting. What did the instrument look like?

You sure it's not a sex toy?

Could you have misheard?
Could it be this
or perhaps he was referring to it as a fiddle harp?

quote:

Originally posted by neveu:
You sure it's not a sex toy?

That was my first thought when the musician said it, but no, he said one plays a mouth harp (harmonica?) which is attached to the body, and "diddles" with the stringed part. After hearing such a contraption, I doubt anyone's potntial paramour would be in the diddling mood!

According to John Doan, the instrument is a Dital Harp, one of several ancient instruments in the guitar family which he owns.

The Wikipedia article on the dital harp (aka lute harp) has a picture of one (link). Also link. (I could not find an etymologyof dital, though it seems likely to be related to digit.)

Wow, good sleuthing! I was doubly mistaken, having heard "diddle" for "dital," and having associated the dital harp with another instrument Doan demonstrated.

Proofreader, do you know John Doan? Do you live in Oregon?

Negative to both. I just sent him an e-mail at his contact address after tiring of searching the internet. As an amateur guitar player, I was interested in his collection and should have realized the most direct route is usually the best.

He said, "The instrument with the harmonica attached is called the Hill Country Harp and is one of scores of American zithers that were sold in this country from the 1880's through 1940's."

That's a great way to investigate questions, Proofreader. Sometimes I will go to a specific Web site and ask questions, too. For example, we had a question about Shakespeare, so I asked about it on a forum I found. They immediately knew the answer.

I believe I also have HIS e-mail address if you ever need it.

Shakespeare has an email address?

Bard@gmail.com, perhaps?

willie_the_shake@avon.com.uk

And Dean Swift's is undoubtedly houyhnhm@yahoo.com