Jack of all trades, master of none

As a jack-of -all-trades an active, versatile, go-getting person is colloquially referred to, is a jack of all trades or a generalist. Occasionally, however, the term is also meant to be derogatory, within the meaning of troublemakers, " good," " Zampano " or " profligate " ( 24 sec, p 644, Liederjan, the ugs, veraltend for dissolute man ). Furthermore, people who are a little impetuous, while clumsy, called jack.

In Bairischen how high linguistic descriptions of Bavaria in Munich or the busybody is instead a more nuanced uses that busy managers or club Meier and Adabei for ubiquitous demimonde, B celebrities and frequent guests at social events.

. In English-speaking countries first was the factotum, later, the Jack or Jill of all trades the equivalent of the jack-of -all-trades * Will you him today but negatively about, you just extended the concept to his old form: Jack of all trades - and master of none (English about: Kenner all trades - and master of none)

The name Hans ( John ) was in the 16th century in German-speaking so frequently that he was literally find " in every alleyway ". The term jack-of -all-trades is to turn back Hans -all-trades. In the collection of old German songs "Des Knaben Wunderhorn" by von Arnim and Brentano (1808 ) found, for example, a poem with this title, the date of origin is unknown. Far as we can dive the phrase Hans -all-trades in the literature for the first time in the 1667 novel, " The Adventurous Simplicissimus " by Hans Jakob Christoffel von Grimmelshausenmuseum (2nd book, Chapter 7 ) on.

The term jack-of -all-trades was finally made ​​widely known by the same name story by the German author and election Swiss Heinrich Zschokke (1771-1848) from the year 1814. The main character in it is " Hans, the mayor's son Peter steam ", the above properties unites in itself.