Knowledge (XXG)

Jack of all trades

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42: 451: 97:. 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 Gregorio in his signature ("resolute"), and the term "factotum" is thought to be used as a disparaging word for secretary, John Florio's job. 138:
by adding a second line: "but oftentimes better than a master of one" (or variants thereof), with some modern writers incorrectly saying that such a couplet is the "original" version with the second line having been dropped. Online discussions attempting to find instances of this second line dated to
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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
192:"There is an upstart crow, beautified with our feathers, that with his tiger's heart wrapped in a player's hide supposes he is as well able to bombast out a blank verse as the best of you: and being an absolute Johannes Factotum, is in his own conceit the only Shake-scene in a country." 64:", 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 118:
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
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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
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Jack of all trades, master of none," the saying goes. But it is culturally telling that we have chopped off the ending: "…but oftentimes better than master of one.
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used in reference to a person who has dabbled in many skills, rather than gaining expertise by focusing on only one.
418:"Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996) 134:
In modern times, the phrase with the "master of none" element is sometimes expanded into a less unflattering
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Some scholars believe Greene was referring not to Shakespeare, but to "Resolute" Johannes Florio, known as
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used the phrase "absolute Johannes Factotumen" rather than "Jack of all trades" in his 1592 booklet
478: 87: 65: 41: 264: 429: 218: 163: 256: 54: 283: 450: 467: 202:
Stephen Orgel and A. R. Braunmuller, editors, Harmondsworth: Penguin, 2002, p. xlvii.
153: 119: 102: 346: 17: 94: 245:""Johannes fac Totum"?: Shakespeare's First Contact with the Acting Companies" 68:
in a practical manner. This person is a generalist rather than a specialist.
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Essayes and characters of a Prison and Prisoners originally published in 1618
168: 394:, compiled by William and Mary Morris. HarperCollins, New York, 1977, 1988. 260: 347:"Geffray Minshull (Mynshul), English miscellaneous writer (1594? - 1668)" 173: 409:
in August 1721 as "Jack of all Trades; and it would seem, Good at none."
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before the twenty-first century have resulted in no response however.
123: 106: 40: 219:"'Jack of all trades' – the meaning and origin of this phrase" 90:; this is the first published mention of Shakespeare. 86:to dismissively refer to actor-turned-playwright 212: 210: 208: 8: 392:Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins 284:"John or Giovanni Florio? Johannes Florius!" 126:, the phrase has been in use since 1721. 282:Iannaccone, Marianna (26 January 2021). 200:William Shakespeare--The Complete Works, 185: 430:"How Falling Behind Can Get You Ahead" 333:William Shakespeare ovvero John Florio 7: 51:Jack of all trades, master of none 25: 449: 45:Jack of Spades with a jackknife 1: 454:The dictionary definition of 403:The OED notes appearance in 109:, when imprisoned for debt. 82:Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit 33:Polytehnitis kai erimospitis 159:Generalist (disambiguation) 495: 368:Minshull, Geffray (1821). 288:www.resolutejohnflorio.com 29: 310:"Shakespeare and Florio" 130:Other quotation variants 30:For the Greek film, see 474:English-language idioms 428:David Epistein (2020). 331:Gerevini, Saul (2008). 60:The original version, " 406:The Boston News-Letter 335:(in Italian). Pilgrim. 46: 249:Shakespeare Quarterly 243:Van Es, Bart (2010). 44: 196:Groats-Worth of Wit; 66:disciplines together 62:a jack of all trades 261:10.1093/sq/61.4.551 88:William Shakespeare 457:jack of all trades 223:www.phrases.org.uk 47: 18:Jack-of-all-trades 164:Multipotentiality 16:(Redirected from 486: 453: 437: 436: 425: 419: 416: 410: 401: 395: 389: 383: 382: 380: 378: 365: 359: 358: 356: 354: 343: 337: 336: 328: 322: 321: 319: 317: 308:Gerevini, Saul. 305: 299: 298: 296: 294: 279: 273: 272: 240: 234: 233: 231: 229: 214: 203: 190: 113:"Master of none" 55:figure of speech 27:Figure of speech 21: 494: 493: 489: 488: 487: 485: 484: 483: 464: 463: 446: 441: 440: 427: 426: 422: 417: 413: 402: 398: 390: 386: 376: 374: 367: 366: 362: 352: 350: 345: 344: 340: 330: 329: 325: 315: 313: 307: 306: 302: 292: 290: 281: 280: 276: 242: 241: 237: 227: 225: 216: 215: 206: 193: 191: 187: 182: 145: 132: 115: 74: 37: 28: 23: 22: 15: 12: 11: 5: 492: 490: 482: 481: 476: 466: 465: 462: 461: 445: 444:External links 442: 439: 438: 420: 411: 396: 384: 360: 349:. Giga-usa.com 338: 323: 300: 274: 255:(4): 551–577. 235: 217:Martin, Gary. 204: 184: 183: 181: 178: 177: 176: 171: 166: 161: 156: 151: 144: 141: 131: 128: 114: 111: 73: 70: 26: 24: 14: 13: 10: 9: 6: 4: 3: 2: 491: 480: 477: 475: 472: 471: 469: 460:at Wiktionary 459: 458: 452: 448: 447: 443: 435: 431: 424: 421: 415: 412: 408: 407: 400: 397: 393: 388: 385: 373: 372: 364: 361: 348: 342: 339: 334: 327: 324: 311: 304: 301: 289: 285: 278: 275: 270: 266: 262: 258: 254: 250: 246: 239: 236: 224: 220: 213: 211: 209: 205: 201: 197: 189: 186: 179: 175: 172: 170: 167: 165: 162: 160: 157: 155: 154:Competent man 152: 150: 147: 146: 142: 140: 137: 129: 127: 125: 121: 120:United States 112: 110: 108: 104: 98: 96: 91: 89: 85: 83: 78: 77:Robert Greene 71: 69: 67: 63: 58: 56: 52: 43: 39: 35: 34: 19: 456: 433: 423: 414: 404: 399: 391: 387: 375:. Retrieved 370: 363: 351:. Retrieved 341: 332: 326: 316:30 September 314:. Retrieved 312:(in Italian) 303: 293:30 September 291:. Retrieved 287: 277: 252: 248: 238: 228:30 September 226:. Retrieved 222: 199: 195: 188: 133: 116: 99: 92: 80: 75: 61: 59: 50: 48: 38: 32: 198:cited from 95:John Florio 479:Jack tales 468:Categories 180:References 103:Gray's Inn 169:Philomath 269:40985630 174:Polymath 143:See also 377:2 April 353:2 April 149:Amateur 136:couplet 72:Origins 53:" is a 267:  124:Canada 107:London 265:JSTOR 379:2014 355:2014 318:2022 295:2022 230:2022 122:and 257:doi 470:: 432:. 286:. 263:. 253:61 251:. 247:. 221:. 207:^ 194:-- 105:, 381:. 357:. 320:. 297:. 271:. 259:: 232:. 84:, 49:" 36:. 20:)

Index

Jack-of-all-trades
Polytehnitis kai erimospitis

figure of speech
disciplines together
Robert Greene
Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit
William Shakespeare
John Florio
Gray's Inn
London
United States
Canada
couplet
Amateur
Competent man
Generalist (disambiguation)
Multipotentiality
Philomath
Polymath



"'Jack of all trades' – the meaning and origin of this phrase"
""Johannes fac Totum"?: Shakespeare's First Contact with the Acting Companies"
doi
10.1093/sq/61.4.551
JSTOR
40985630
"John or Giovanni Florio? Johannes Florius!"

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