<P> In Elizabethan English the quasi-New Latin term Johannes factotum ("Johnny do - it - all") was sometimes used, with the same negative connotation that "Jack of all trades" sometimes has today . The term was famously used by Robert Greene in his 1592 booklet Greene's Groats - Worth of Wit, in which he dismissively refers to actor - turned - playwright William Shakespeare with this term, the first published mention of the writer . </P> <P> In 1612, the English - language version of the phrase appeared in the book "Essays and Characters of a Prison" by English writer Geffray Mynshul (Minshull), originally published in 1618, and probably based on the author's experience while held at Gray's Inn, London, when imprisoned for debt . </P> <P> The "master of none" element appears to have been added later; which made the statement less flattering to the person receiving . Today, the phrase used in its entirety generally describes a person whose knowledge, while covering a number of areas, is superficial in all of them . When abbreviated as simply "jack of all trades", it is an ambiguous statement; the user's intention is then dependent on context . However when "master of none" is added this is unflattering and sometimes added in jest . In North America, the phrase has been in use since 1721, typically in its short form . "Still better than a master of one" is sometimes appended to the phrase . </P> <P> Sayings and terms resembling "jack of all trades" appear in almost all languages . Whether they are meant positively or negatively is dependent on the context . While many of these refer to a "jack of all trades," the fundamental idea they are trying to convey may be entirely different . </P>

A jack of all trades is a master of none quote
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