09-09-2022, 06:14 PM
Citation needed.
I see these kinds of things on the internet frequently, recons to accommodate the desires of the writer.
The original use that the article claims to be about Shakespeare and was a compliment, may not have been about the former and was certainly not the latter. The phrase used was actually "an absolute Johannes Factotum" and was used as an insult and was either dismissing what was to be the Bard of Avon or John Florio.₁
"Jack of all trades, master of none" has been used in the US and Canada since at least the 1700s, ₂ the supposed full quotation that includes some version of "better than master of one" has no examples from before the 21st century.₃
A large number of cultures have an idiom warning against over-generalizing your skills, here are some favorites:
Arabic examples: صاحب الصنعتين كذاب "The one who knows two trades is a liar"
سبع صنايع والبخت ضايع :The one who knows seven trades but is so unlucky"
Chilean: Maestro Chasquilla "Fringe Master"
Chinese:
Mandarin: 樣樣通,樣樣鬆 "All trades known, all work loose"
Cantonese 周身刀,無張利 "Many tools, none sharp"
Colombian: Aprendiz de mucho, maestro de nada "Apprentice of a lot, master of nothing"
Czech: devatero řemesel, desátá bída. "Nine crafts, tenth is misery"
Dutch: 12 ambachten, 13 ongelukken "12 trades, 13 accidents"
Estonian: Üheksa ametit, kümnes nälg "Nine trades, the tenth one — hunger"
French: Qui trop embrasse, mal étreint "he who embraces too much, has a weak grasp"
German: Ein Multitalent kann Vieles, aber nichts richtig "A multi-talent knows much, but nothing properly"
Greek: Πολυτεχνίτης και ερημοσπίτης "A man of many crafts and a deserted home"
Japanese: 多芸は無芸 "Many talents is no talent"
Korean: 열 두 가지 재주 가진 놈이 저녁거리가 없다 “A man of twelve talents has nothing to eat for dinner.”
Lithuanian: Visų krūmų neapšiksi "It's impossible to shit in every bush"
Mexican: A todo le tiras, y a nada le pegas "You aim for everything, but you hit nothing"
Persian: همه کاره و هیچ کاره "All trades and no trades"
Polish: Siedem fachów, ósma bieda “Seven trades, the eighth one — poverty.”
Romanian: Bun la toate și la nimic "Good at everything and at nothing"
Russian: Специалист широкого профиля "Specialist in wide range"
Spanish: Maestro Liendre, que de todo sabe y de nada entiende. "Knows about everything but understands nothing"
Un océano de conocimiento de una pulgada de profundidad "An ocean of knowledge of an inch deep"
Sinhalese: සියල්ල දත් කිසිත් නොදත්, "Knows everything yet, doesn't know anything."
Tagalog: Marunong sa lahat, magaling sa wala "Knows everything, masters none"
Tamil: பல தொழில் கற்றவன் ஒரு தொழிலும் செய்யான் "A man who knew so many businesses but thinks forever to choose which one to master"
Thai: รู้อย่างเป็ด "Know like duck"
Turkish: Her şeyin ehli, hiçbir şeyin ustası. "competent in all, master in none."
Vietnamese: Một nghề cho chín, còn hơn chín nghề "Being master in one job is better than being average in nine jobs"
I mostly wrote this post so I could dust off my list, because it cracks me up, especially saying someone is as good at a craft as a duck.
1 Benvenuto Su Shakespeareandflorio.net. Benvenuto su shakespeareandflorio.net. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2022, from http://www.shakespeareandflorio.net/
2 The Boston News-Letter Boston Mass. -August 1721
3 Earliest I found was 2017 - see what you can find
I see these kinds of things on the internet frequently, recons to accommodate the desires of the writer.
The original use that the article claims to be about Shakespeare and was a compliment, may not have been about the former and was certainly not the latter. The phrase used was actually "an absolute Johannes Factotum" and was used as an insult and was either dismissing what was to be the Bard of Avon or John Florio.₁
"Jack of all trades, master of none" has been used in the US and Canada since at least the 1700s, ₂ the supposed full quotation that includes some version of "better than master of one" has no examples from before the 21st century.₃
A large number of cultures have an idiom warning against over-generalizing your skills, here are some favorites:
Arabic examples: صاحب الصنعتين كذاب "The one who knows two trades is a liar"
سبع صنايع والبخت ضايع :The one who knows seven trades but is so unlucky"
Chilean: Maestro Chasquilla "Fringe Master"
Chinese:
Mandarin: 樣樣通,樣樣鬆 "All trades known, all work loose"
Cantonese 周身刀,無張利 "Many tools, none sharp"
Colombian: Aprendiz de mucho, maestro de nada "Apprentice of a lot, master of nothing"
Czech: devatero řemesel, desátá bída. "Nine crafts, tenth is misery"
Dutch: 12 ambachten, 13 ongelukken "12 trades, 13 accidents"
Estonian: Üheksa ametit, kümnes nälg "Nine trades, the tenth one — hunger"
French: Qui trop embrasse, mal étreint "he who embraces too much, has a weak grasp"
German: Ein Multitalent kann Vieles, aber nichts richtig "A multi-talent knows much, but nothing properly"
Greek: Πολυτεχνίτης και ερημοσπίτης "A man of many crafts and a deserted home"
Japanese: 多芸は無芸 "Many talents is no talent"
Korean: 열 두 가지 재주 가진 놈이 저녁거리가 없다 “A man of twelve talents has nothing to eat for dinner.”
Lithuanian: Visų krūmų neapšiksi "It's impossible to shit in every bush"
Mexican: A todo le tiras, y a nada le pegas "You aim for everything, but you hit nothing"
Persian: همه کاره و هیچ کاره "All trades and no trades"
Polish: Siedem fachów, ósma bieda “Seven trades, the eighth one — poverty.”
Romanian: Bun la toate și la nimic "Good at everything and at nothing"
Russian: Специалист широкого профиля "Specialist in wide range"
Spanish: Maestro Liendre, que de todo sabe y de nada entiende. "Knows about everything but understands nothing"
Un océano de conocimiento de una pulgada de profundidad "An ocean of knowledge of an inch deep"
Sinhalese: සියල්ල දත් කිසිත් නොදත්, "Knows everything yet, doesn't know anything."
Tagalog: Marunong sa lahat, magaling sa wala "Knows everything, masters none"
Tamil: பல தொழில் கற்றவன் ஒரு தொழிலும் செய்யான் "A man who knew so many businesses but thinks forever to choose which one to master"
Thai: รู้อย่างเป็ด "Know like duck"
Turkish: Her şeyin ehli, hiçbir şeyin ustası. "competent in all, master in none."
Vietnamese: Một nghề cho chín, còn hơn chín nghề "Being master in one job is better than being average in nine jobs"
I mostly wrote this post so I could dust off my list, because it cracks me up, especially saying someone is as good at a craft as a duck.
1 Benvenuto Su Shakespeareandflorio.net. Benvenuto su shakespeareandflorio.net. (n.d.). Retrieved September 9, 2022, from http://www.shakespeareandflorio.net/
2 The Boston News-Letter Boston Mass. -August 1721
3 Earliest I found was 2017 - see what you can find
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