"Jack Of All Trades" | Do You Know What this Idiom Means? • 7ESL

You may hear the term ‘Jack of all trades’ in many English conversations. But what is the meaning of this phrase and where did it come from in the first place? We are going to answer both of these questions and also look into how the phrase can be used in our everyday conversations.

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Jack Of All Trades

“Jack Of All Trades” Meaning

When someone refers to a person as a ‘jack of all trades’ they are saying that the person is able to do many different types of jobs but may not be necessarily very skilled in any single one of them.

Origin of this idiom

The term ‘jack of all trades’ originally came from the 14th century when the name Jack was a general name given to the masses. The full phrase is usually said as ‘jack of all trades, master of none.‘

“Jack Of All Trades” Examples

Examples in Statements

This is a statement made by a news reporter about a local handyman.

‘Stan is known to the locals for his quick fixing jobs, he is a jack of all trades.’

Here is a statement made by one friend to another.

‘I wouldn’t trust John to fix your shower, he is a jack of all trades.’

Conversation Examples

If you are curious to know how the idiomatic term ‘jack of all trades’ can work in a conversation, here are some examples of that.

The first example is a conversation between two friends.

Person 1: “I need a shed building in my garden.”
Person 2: “Why don’t you ask Fred to help, he is a jack of all trades.”

This next conversation takes place between a potential employee and boss.

Person 1: “Why do you think you would made a good caretaker?”
Person 2: “Well, I know a little bit about a lot of different jobs.”
Person 1: “So, you are a jack of all trades then.”

Other Ways to Say the Phrase

There are other ways in which you could express the meaning of the term ‘jack of all trades.’ Here are a few examples of things you might say.

All rounder
Go-to guy
Knows a little about a lot
Handyman

7ESL

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“Jack Of All Trades” | Do You Know What this Idiom Means?