Idiom
jack of all trades, master of none
Meaning
A person who has a competent grasp of many skills but who is not outstanding in any one.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“He is a jack of all trades, master of none.”
“She can fix cars, paint houses, and cook, but she is a jack of all trades, master of none.”
“While his broad knowledge makes him a useful assistant, he remains a jack of all trades, master of none, lacking the deep expertise required for the lead role.”
Examples
simple
“He is a jack of all trades, master of none.”
contextual
“She can fix cars, paint houses, and cook, but she is a jack of all trades, master of none.”
complex
“While his broad knowledge makes him a useful assistant, he remains a jack of all trades, master of none, lacking the deep expertise required for the lead role.”
Origin
The term is an extension of the earlier *jack of all trades*, a phrase in which the name Jack serves as a generic identifier for a common man or laborer. While the modern iteration carries a note of disparagement, the sixteenth-century usage was frequently employed as a term of praise for a person of versatile ability.
In the 21st century, the phrase has undergone a further, though rare, expansion into a couplet. This addition—*though oftentimes better than master of one*—serves to rehabilitate the reputation of the generalist, suggesting that a broad range of competence is preferable to a single, narrow expertise.
Key words
Related idioms
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