factotum

/fæk'toutəm/
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Thân thiện
factotum

The factotum carries a tray of refreshments into the library.

Definition

Noun: 1. A person employed to do a wide variety of tasks, typically of a general or menial nature. A factotum is a servant or assistant whose duties are not specialized but encompass many different kinds of work.

Examples
  • Noun:
    • In the small office, he acted as a factotum, handling the mail, answering phones, and making coffee.
    • The estate manager hired a factotum to assist with gardening, basic repairs, and errands.
    • She started as the company's factotum, but her versatility led to a more specialized role.
Advanced Usage
  • Literary/Historical Context: The term often carries a slightly old-fashioned or literary connotation, evoking the image of a servant in a large household or a general assistant in a pre-modern office setting.
    • The novelist described the character as the professor's faithful factotum, managing both his library and his daily schedule.
Variants and Related Words
  • Jack-of-all-trades (noun, idiomatic): A person who can do many different types of work. This term is more common in modern speech and often has a neutral or slightly positive connotation regarding skill, whereas "factotum" emphasizes employment for general tasks.
  • Handyman (noun): A person skilled at various small repair jobs. This is more specific to maintenance and repair work.
  • General assistant (noun): A modern, more formal phrase with a similar meaning.
Synonyms
  • Man Friday (noun, idiomatic, dated): A loyal and versatile male assistant. (Note: This term is now considered culturally insensitive and is largely obsolete.)
  • Gofer (noun, informal): A person who runs errands and does minor tasks ("go for" this, "go for" that).
  • Dogsbody (noun, chiefly British, informal): A person who is given boring, menial tasks.
Idioms
  • While not an idiom itself, "factotum" can be used in the phrase "a regular factotum" to emphasize someone's role in handling all miscellaneous duties.
    • Since the department is understaffed, I've become a regular factotum around here.
factotum

The factotum carries a tray of refreshments into the library.

Noun
  1. a servant employed to do a variety of jobs