proverb · Words worth keeping
A jack of all trades is master of none.
A jack of all trades is master of none.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A person working across many trades called master of none questions breadth without depth. The saying contrasts general familiarity with specialised skill.
What the words are saying
The sentence is not a verified ranking of all generalists and specialists. A useful application asks what level of competence the task needs and how skills complement one another. Broad experience can be valuable, and mastery cannot be inferred solely from a narrow title or dismissed because interests are diverse.
Everyday example
A team matches relevant skills to a task while valuing both broad experience and focused expertise.
When to use it
Use it to examine appropriate depth without dismissing generalists.
What it does not mean
No universal incompetence through diverse skills or expertise from a title is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
United Kingdom
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin.- Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided wisdom reference (2014 AD)
Supplied reference B; unit 962; PDF page 83; collection label: United Kingdom
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- United Kingdom