"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.
The original version "a jack of all trades" is often used as a compliment for a person who is good at fixing, 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.
Origins
Robert Greene used the phrase "absolute Johannes Factotum" (rather than "Jack of all trades") in his 1592 booklet ''
Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit
''Greenes, Groats-worth of Witte, bought with a million of Repentance'' (1592) is a tract published as the work of the Elizabethan author Robert Greene.
It was published as a short book or pamphlet, a form that was popular and which contrib ...
,'' to dismissively refer to actor-turned-playwright
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...
;
this is the first published mention of Shakespeare.
Some scholars believe Greene was referring not to Shakespeare, but to "Resolute" Johannes Florio, known as
John Florio
Giovanni Florio (1552–1625), known as John Florio, was an English linguist, poet, writer, translator, lexicographer, and royal language tutor at the Court of James I. He is recognised as the most important Renaissance humanist in England. F ...
. They have pointed out how "Johannes" was the Latin version of John (Giovanni), and the name by which Florio was known among his contemporaries. The term "absolute" is thought to be a rhyme for the nickname used by Florio in his signature ("resolute"), and the term "factotum" is thought to be used as a disparaging word for secretary, John Florio's job.
In 1612, the phrase appeared in the book "Essays and Characters of a Prison" by English writer Geffray Mynshul (Minshull), originally published in 1618, and was probably based on the author's experience while held at
Gray's Inn
The Honourable Society of Gray's Inn, commonly known as Gray's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister in England and W ...
,
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
, when imprisoned for debt.
"Master of none"
The "master of none" element appears to have been added in the late 18th century;
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. In the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
and
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
, the phrase has been in use since 1721.
"Full quotation"
In modern times, the phrase with the "master of none" element is sometimes expanded into a less unflattering
couplet by adding a second line: "but oftentimes better than master of one" (or variants thereof), with some writers saying that such a couplet is the "original" version with the second line having been dropped,
but there are no known instances of this second line dated to before the twenty-first century.
See also
*
Amateur
*
Competent man
Author Robert A. Heinlein's famous listing of a range of competencies that his protagonist considers essential to be a well-rounded person.
In literature, the competent man is a stock character who exhibits a very wide range of abilities and kn ...
*
Generalist
A generalist is a person with a wide array of knowledge on a variety of subjects, useful or not. It may also refer to:
Occupations
* a physician who provides general health care, as opposed to a medical specialist; see also:
** General pract ...
*
Multipotentiality
Multipotentiality is an educational and psychological term referring to the ability and preference of a person, particularly one of strong intellectual or artistic curiosity, to excel in two or more different fields.
It can also refer to an indi ...
*
Philomath
A philomath () is a lover of learning and studying. The term is from Greek (; "beloved", "loving", as in philosophy or philanthropy) and , (, ; "to learn", as in polymath). Philomathy is similar to, but distinguished from, philosophy in that ...
*
Polymath
A polymath ( el, πολυμαθής, , "having learned much"; la, homo universalis, "universal human") is an individual whose knowledge spans a substantial number of subjects, known to draw on complex bodies of knowledge to solve specific pro ...
References
External links
*{{Wiktionary-inline, jack of all trades
English-language idioms
Jack tales