jack of all trades master of none full quote
“Jack of all trades, master of none” refers to a person who has dabbled in a variety of skills rather than developing proficiency by concentrating on one. The phrase “a jack of all crafts” refers to someone who is skilled in repair and has a wide range of knowledge.”
jack of all trades master of none full saying
Origins
Shakespeare’s actor-turned-playwright status was disparaged by Robert Greene in his 1592 pamphlet Greene’s Groats-Worth of Wit by using the phrase “absolute Johannes Factotum”; this is the first time Shakespeare has been mentioned in print. According to some academics, Greene was referring to John Florio, also known as the steadfast Johannes Florio. The term “absolute” was an alliteration of the nickname John Florio chose and used in his signature (exactly the word “resolute”), and the term “factotum” was a derogatory definition of secretary, which was John Florio’s position. They have also pointed out how “Johannes” was the Latin name of John (Giovanni) and the name by which Florio was known among his contemporaries.
English author Geffray Mynshul (Minshullbook )’s “Essays and Characters of a Prison,” which was first published in 1618[6] and apparently based on the author’s experience while being held at Gray’s Inn, London, while being imprisoned for debt, first used the phrase in 1612
Master of nothing
The phrase “master of none” seems to have been inserted later;[7] it made the compliment to the recipient less flattering. Today, the word as a whole is typically used to characterise someone whose education, while spanning a variety of topics, is only cursory in each one. The phrase “jack of all trades” is confusing when it is abbreviated; the meaning depends on the context. However, adding “master of none” is insulting and occasionally done in joke. [8] The expression has been in use in the United States and Canada since 1721.
Complete quotation
However, there are no known examples of this second line dating to before the twenty-first century. In modern times, the phrase with the “master of none” element is occasionally expanded into a less unflattering couplet by adding a second line: “but oftentimes better than master of one” (or variants thereof). Some writers claim that such a couplet is the “original” version with the second line dropped.