jack of all trades—master of none

English

Noun

jack of all trades—master of none

  1. Alternative form of jack of all trades, master of none.
    • 1931 January, “Commerce Students—A Pity”, in Irving Breger, editor, Purple Parrot, volume XI, number 4, Evanston, Ill.: Students Publishing Co., Northwestern University, →OCLC, page 9, column 1:
      The interests that merit the attention of the commerce student are fraught with material possibilities. He is carefully guarded by his commerce school against the hazy, undefined objective that accompanies the liberal arts student after graduation. His school frowns on the “jack of all trades—master of none” doctrine. It specializes its students so that they may unhesitatingly step into the realms of business, as ordained as death, after graduation.
    • 1949, Albert G. Wade, “Preface”, in My Memoirs: A Purely Personal Record of a Lifetime in the Advertising Agency Business, White Pigeon, Mich.: Wade Advertising Agency, →ISBN; republished [Whitefish, Mont.]: Kessinger Publishing, 2007:
      From this and other experiences, I would say, don’t be in too big a hurry about coming to your final decision on what you are going to make your life work. Yet, be very careful not to work at too many things and become “a jack of all trades—master of none,” for that will get you nowhere in particular.
    • 1960 winter, J.V.B., “Apostle and Apostolate. By Msgr. Lucien Cerfaux. Translated by Donald D. Duggan. New York, Desclee, 1960. pp. 184. $2.75.”, in Dominicana, volume 45, number 4, Washington, D.C.: Dominican House of Studies, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 368:
      Some of the language may seem misleading. In his introduction Fr. Cerfaux debunks over-activity but in another chapter he urges apostles to be men in a hurry. The hurrying apostle sanctifies well whatever he touches; the over-active apostle is satisfied with the sheen of sanctity which has no depth. He may be termed “a jack of all trades—master of none.”
    • 1994, Ivan E. Cornia, Charles B. Stubbs, Nathan B. Winters, “Level 7 activities”, in Art Is Elementary: Teaching Visual Thinking Through Art Concepts, Preschool Through Level Seven, revised edition, Layton, Ut.: Gibbs Smith, →ISBN, page 455, column 1:
      Be aware of the divergent thinking required in thinking of various materials. Also be aware of the problem of an artist being a “jack of all trades—master of none.”
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