Jack of all trades, master of none
From The Art and Popular Culture Encyclopedia
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"Jack of all trades, master of none" is a figure of speech used in reference to a generalist: a person that is competent with many skills but is not outstanding in any particular one.
A Jack of all trades may be a master of integration, as such an individual knows enough from many learned trades and skills to be able to bring their disciplines together in a practical manner, and is not a specialist. A person who is exceptional in many disciplines is known as a polymath or a renaissance man; a typical example is Leonardo da Vinci.
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 probably based on the author's experience while held at Gray's Inn, London, when imprisoned for debt. Mynshul uses only the first half of the phrase in the book, which indicates that the phrase was in common usage at the time he wrote his account.
The phrase is occasionally quoted in full as the rhyming verse
"Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one"
In North America, the phrase has been in use since 1721, typically in its shortened form.
The 'jack of all trades' part of the phrase was in common use during the 1600s and was generally used as a term of praise. 'Jack' in those days was a generic term for 'man'. Later the 'master of none' was added and the expression ceased to be very flattering. Today, the phrase used in its entirety generally describes a person whose knowledge, while covering a number of areas, is superficial in all of them, whilst when abbreviated as simply 'jack of all trades' is more ambiguous and the user's intention may vary, dependent on context.
