词源不确定,或来自Mr Zilch,漫画小说中不重要的角色,可能是模仿支支吾吾的声音创造出来的人名,引申词义小人物,零等。
The [Cadence] agency aims to have each album cover actually promote the record, on the theory that "the day of pretty, boffy, zoomy and zingy covers for the sake of zilch is no more." ["Billboard," Oct. 28, 1957]