What does it mean to be the Jack of all Trades and the Ace of none?

Question

What does it mean to be the Jack of all Trades and the Ace of none?

Answer 1

Nobody has made the vital point that a 'jack' was a servant. or in industry a labourer. So a jack of all trades is a general labourer, able to assist any master craftsman, but not himself qualified.

The word 'jack' as used in card games is an example. The jack was originally the valet - French for servant - or, in English, the knave, which also means boy or servant. The card was colloquially therefore known as the jack, which was a usual informal equivalent. The word of course also survives as the name of the gadget which lifts  the car for you to change a tyre - it is an essential assistant!

Hope this helps.

Answer 2

it means you have alot of skills. say you're good at football, basketball, tennis, swimming and volleyball . This means you're a 'jack of all trades'. But thats means you can't be the best at all of them so you're the 'jack of all trades' (have alot of skills' but 'ace of none' (you're not the best at any.

Answer 3

sorry to disagree but it means you can do many things well(jack of all trades) but there are limits to your ability in any of the skills you possess (master of none).

Answer 4

The actual phrase is "jack of all trades and MASTER of none."

A "jack of all trades" was a person who did a lot of things, had a lot of skills. Oftentimes, however, the person who could do many things didn't do any of them very well--he or she was not a "master" craftsman in any of the skills. That's what the phrase means--that someone can do a lot of different things, but does not do any of them really well.

Answer 5

means you can do a little bit of everything but none really well.