Jack of all trades, master of none
Meaning: Versatility can come at the cost of expertise.
Origin: "Jack" was the name for any ordinary man, and a "Jack of all trades" was simply someone who could turn his hand to anything — not necessarily an insult. In 1592 the playwright Robert Greene sneered at the young Shakespeare as a "Johannes factotum," the Latin version of the same thing. The dismissive tail "master of none" was added in the 18th century.
Equivalents in French, Spanish, Japanese, and German
- French: Touche-à-tout, bon à rien (literally: Touch everything, good at nothing)
- Spanish: Aprendiz de todo, maestro de nada (literally: Apprentice of all, master of none)
- Japanese: 器用貧乏 (Kiyō binbō) (literally: Skilled but poor)
- German: Hansdampf in allen Gassen (literally: Jack Steam in every alley)
More proverbs about Wisdom
- Haste makes waste — Rushing leads to mistakes and wasted effort.
- Don't cry over spilled milk — Don't worry about things that have already happened.
- A penny saved is a penny earned — Saving money is just as valuable as earning it.
- Easy come, easy go — Things obtained without effort are easily lost.
- The proof is in the pudding — Results speak louder than promises.
- Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it — Ignoring past mistakes leads to repeating them.
From our tongue twisters
- Pecyn o bersli heb ei brisio, prisio'r persli heb ei becynnu. — A 'p/b/pr/br' mutation drill — Welsh initial consonant mutations mean the same root sound…
- Capra neagră sare piatra, piatra-i neagră, capra-i albă. — A rapid 'c/pr/n' alternation that gains speed — and the colour-swap at the end trips the…
- Μια πάπια μα ποια πάπια; μια πάπια με παπιά στα παγωμένα νερά. (Mia papia ma pia papia; mia papia me papia sta pagomena nera.) — A 'pa/pi/pag' drill — the near-identical syllables pile up while the image stays perfectl…