dogsbodyとは 意味・読み方・使い方

語源

From dog +‎ -s- +‎ body. 1818, British navy slang, originally derogatory reference to unappetizing pease pudding (compare dog's breakfast), as if it were made of mashed dog meat. In 20th century applied to low-ranked sailors, thence menial servants in wider usage.

発音

• (英国発音) IPA^(key): /ˈdɒɡz.bɒ.dɪ/
• (米国発音) IPA^(key): /ˈdɔɡz.bɑ.di/, /ˈdɑɡz.bɑ.di/

名詞

dogsbody (複数形 dogsbodies)

1. (Britain) A person who does menial work, a servant.
   • 1922 February, James Joyce, “[Episode 1]”, in Ulysses, Paris: Shakespeare and Company, […], OCLC 560090630:

     Who chose this face for me? This dogsbody to rid of vermin.

   • 1976, “Anarchy in the U.K.”, performed by Sex Pistols:

     'Cause I, I wanna be anarchy! / No dogsbody!

   • 1994, Blackadder:

     That's just Baldrick, my dogsbody.

   • 1995, Paul Kussmaul, Training The Translator, John Benjamins Publishing Co, p. 146:

     Furthermore, there are still rather backward opinions in our society about the role of a translator. A translator is often regarded as a linguistic dogsbody.

同意語

• factotum
• gofer
• handyman
• jack of all trades
• odd job

動詞

dogsbody (三人称単数 現在形 dogsbodies, 現在分詞 dogsbodying, 過去形および過去分詞形 dogsbodied)

1. To act as a dogsbody, to do menial work:
   • 1989, Tim Parks, Family Planning:

     Perhaps because, having been brought up in all those different countries and languages, and then studying economics of all things for just a year, followed by four years dogsbodying for a haulage company, he had never got any serious reading done.

参照

• “dogsbody”, A.Word.A.Day, Anu Garg, Wordsmith.org
• “And, of course, the poloponies, Word Detective, Evan Morris, 1997–07–01