Pursuant to a discussion of hypnotism techniques and sleep promotion--whilst tasting exotic brews in our sauna--two very closely allied tactics: In connection with the latter my splendid No. 2 Son Sky recommended silent repetition of "nothing" as an aid to rejecting interfering thoughts

So in resolving to try his system I nonetheless had a few intervening and interfering thoughts, the chief one noting how many common synonyms for "nothing":

Nil, nada, Nichts (Note the cap. Need I explain?), naught, nix, null

Zip, zero, zilch, zippo, zot

.....begin with N and Z

Why is that, do you suppose

Zot?

Last entry:

http://thesaurus.reference.com/the?q=nothing&search=search

Don't ask me......

Foist I hoid a it.

That's about all I found at onelook. That and a few acronyms. It didn't have nothing.

A zot is a fool; zoet is sweet; zout is salt and zo is so;
so be it something.

Here's another source for zot as a synonym for nothing

http://www.whyknought.com/22.html?*session*id*key*=*session*id*val*

It wasn't easy to find. But to save you the trouble:

naught, nil, nobody, nonentity, nothing, nothingness, nought, nullity, squat, zilch, zip, zippo*, zot*

That's not another source. They're both quoting the same primary resource. Looks like a good resource but it's not independent.

My bad. Still a total mystery

here's something that's not squat..

from squat, U.S. slang for not anything (Orig. as second element of phr. doodly-squat):
1967 WENTWORTH & FLEXNER Dict. Amer. Slang Suppl. 705/2 Squat,..= zot. Ibid. 712/2 Zot,.. a grade or a score of zero.

[source: OED2]

also in the Partridge Dictionary of Slang link
(note that Johnny Hart is given credit for the verb form - see cartoon above)

as to the question, I'd guess that it relates to Nothing and Zero.
-ron o.

tsu thank you for researching the matter and verifying the zot; I feel acquitted

...while I'm not sure about your conclusion tho I like it

I also note that in daleh's link there are 17 synonyms starting with N or Z and 19 starting with other letters.

And, yes, please explain the capital N in what I believe should be nichts.

The Germans capitalize their nouns

depends.. as a pronoun it is nichts.

But I was using it as a noun

Or either an adverb, one.

What about "Brass Razoo" when you have no money or nothing. eg. "I don't have a brass razoo on me."

Good one, I had to look it up

http://onelook.com/?w=razoo&ls=a

And welcome

I think zot is the sound produce by a frog catching mosquito or insects .
Also zot sounds like a superman flies again zooooooooooooottttttt.
I think this is I have, I don't have a dictionary right here with me.

Ash, here's a good source for defs

http://onelook.com/