Jack of all trades

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"Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a person who has dabbled in many skills, rather than gaining expertise by focusing on only one.

Contents

The original version, "a jack of all trades", is often used as a compliment for a person who is good at fixing things and has a good level of broad knowledge. They may be a master of integration: an individual who knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring the disciplines together in a practical manner. This person is a generalist rather than a specialist. A jack of all trades that is highly skilled in many disciplines is known as a polymath.

Origins

In 1612, the phrase appeared in the book "Essays and Characters of a Prison" by English writer Geffray Mynshul (Minshull), [1] originally published in 1618, [2] and was probably based on the author's experience while held at Gray's Inn, London, when imprisoned for debt.[ citation needed ]

"Master of none"

The "master of none" element appears to have been added in the late 18th century; [3] it made the statement less flattering to the person receiving it. Today, "Jack of all trades, master of none" generally describes a person whose knowledge, while covering a number of areas, is superficial in all of them. When abbreviated as simply "jack of all trades", it is an ambiguous statement – the user's intention is then dependent on context. However, when "master of none" is added (sometimes in jest), this is unflattering. [4] In the United States and Canada, the phrase has been in use since 1721. [5] [ full citation needed ] [6]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Geffray Minshull (Mynshul), English miscellaneous writer (1594? - 1668)". Giga-usa.com. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  2. ↑ Minshull, Geffray (1821). Essayes and characters of a Prison and Prisoners originally published in 1618 . Retrieved 2 April 2014.
  3. ↑ Martin, Gary. "'Jack of all trades' – the meaning and origin of this phrase". www.phrases.org.uk. Retrieved 30 September 2022.
  4. ↑ Morris, William and Mary, ed. (1988) [1977]. Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins. New York: HarperCollins.
  5. ↑ The OED notes appearance in The Boston News-Letter in August 1721 as "Jack of all Trades; and it would seem, Good at none."
  6. ↑ Titelman, Gregory Y. (1996). Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings. New York: Random House.
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