"Jack of all trades, master of none" is a metaphor used refers to someone who has tried many skills, rather than gain expertise by focusing on one.
The brief version of the "jack of all trades" is often a compliment to the person who is good at fixing things, and has a very good knowledge. "Jack of all trades" can be a master of integration, as individuals who know enough of the many trades and skills learned to be able to bring individual discipline together in a practical way. This person is more generalist than a specialist.
There is also a longer version of "Jack of all trades, master of none, but often better than master of one" which refers to someone who is not the best in all skill, but better than someone who is just master of one.
Video Jack of all trades, master of none
Origins
In English the term Elizabethan quasi-Latin Johannes factotum ("Johnny do-it-all") is sometimes used, with the same negative connotation as "Jack of all trades" sometimes today. The term is best known by Robert Greene in his 1592 Greene's Groats-Worth of Wit, where he underestimates the actor who turned into William Shakespeare's playwright with this term, the first mention published by the author.
In 1612, the English version of this phrase appears in the book "Essays and Characters of Prison" by the English author Geffray Mynshul (Minshull), originally published in 1618, and possibly based on the author's experience while being held at Gray's Inn, London, when imprisoned for debt.
Maps Jack of all trades, master of none
"Master of none"
No "parent" element seems to be added later; which makes the statement less good for the receiving person. Today, the phrase used in its entirety generally describes a person whose knowledge, while covering a number of fields, is all superficial. When abbreviated as "jack of all trades", it is an ambiguous statement; user intentions then depend on the context. However when the "master of none" is added this is not interesting and sometimes added in jest. In North America, this phrase has been used since 1721, usually in short form. "Still better than master of one" is sometimes added to the phrase.
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Source of the article : Wikipedia