zilch Look up zilch at Dictionary.com
"nothing," 1966, from earlier sense of "meaningless speech" (1960), originally Mr. Zilch, (1931) comic character in the magazine "Ballyhoo." Perhaps from U.S. college slang (early 1900s) Joe Zilsch "an insignificant person." Probably a nonsense syllable, but Zilch is an actual Ger. surname of Slavic origin.