Jack of all trades

This article is about the phrase. For other uses, see Jack of All Trades.

"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 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

• Amateur
• Competent man
• Generalist (disambiguation)
• Multipotentiality
• Philomath
• Polymath