different between factotum vs dogsbody

English

Etymology

From New Latin factotum (literally “do everything”), from Latin fac, present singular imperative of faci? (“do, make”) + t?tum (“everything”); attested in English from 1566.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /fæk?t??.t?m/
• (US) IPA^(key): /fæk?to?.t?m/

Noun

factotum (plural factotums)

1. (dated) A person having many diverse activities or responsibilities.
2. (dated) A general servant.

   Synonym: do-all

   • 1847, Herman Melville, Omoo, Chapter 73,

     I had almost forgotten Monee, the grinning old man who prepared our meal. […] He was Po-Po’s factotum—cook, butler, and climber of the bread-fruit and cocoa-nut trees; and, added to all else, a mighty favourite with his mistress; with whom he would sit smoking and gossiping by the hour.

3. An individual employed to do all sorts of duties.
4. A jack of all trades.

   Synonyms: handyman, jack of all trades, sciolist
5. A printer's ornament forming a decorative border into which any letter can be inserted to mark the beginning of a section of text.

Translations

References

• factotum in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.

Further reading

• Factotum on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Dutch

Etymology

Possibly directly or else via French from New Latin factotum (literally “do everything”), from Latin fac, present singular imperative of faci? (“do, make”) + t?tum (“everything”); attested in Dutch from 1605.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /f?k?to?.t?m/
• Hyphenation: fac?to?tum

Noun

factotum m (plural factotums, diminutive factotumpje n)

1. factotum (jack-of-all-trades)

Synonyms

• manusje-van-alles
• klusjesman

Italian

Noun

factotum m (invariable)

1. An individual employed to do all sorts of duties.

English

Etymology

From dog +? -s- +? body. 1818, British navy slang, originally derogatory reference to unappetizing pease pudding (compare dog's breakfast), as if it were made of mashed dog meat. In 20th century applied to low-ranked sailors, thence menial servants in wider usage.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?d??z.b?.d?/
• (US) IPA^(key): /?d??z.b?.di/, /?d??z.b?.di/

Noun

dogsbody (plural dogsbodies)

1. (Britain) A person who does menial work, a servant.
   • 1995, Paul Kussmaul, Training The Translator, John Benjamins Publishing Co, p. 146:

     Furthermore, there are still rather backward opinions in our society about the role of a translator. A translator is often regarded as a linguistic dogsbody.

Synonyms

• factotum
• gofer
• handyman
• jack of all trades
• odd job

Translations

Verb

dogsbody (third-person singular simple present dogsbodies, present participle dogsbodying, simple past and past participle dogsbodied)

1. To act as a dogsbody, to do menial work:

References

• “dogsbody”, A.Word.A.Day, Anu Garg, Wordsmith.org
• “And, of course, the poloponies, Word Detective, Evan Morris, 1997–07–01