jack of all trades

A person who is good at everything. This term dates from 1600 or before. An early appearance in print is in Geffray Mynshul’s Essayes and Characters of a Prison (1618). Further, it was pointed out even ear- lier that someone good at everything is not outstanding at anything. This observation occurs in an ancient Roman proverb, but only much later was put as jack of all trades, master of none by Maria Edgeworth (Popular Tales: Will, 1800).