Gianmaria
How do you say "tuttofare" in English? Hello people! How would you define someone who has worked in a place where they didn't really do only one thing? For example, if someone worked in a take-away pizzeria and besides topping pizzas (thus helping the pizza maker) they also took phone orders and washed the containers used to put in the rectangular pizzas and stuff, how would you call that? We might say "tuttofare" in italian, which basically means someone who does many different things equally so there is not something in particular they do to say that they are that. Thanks in advance :)
Feb 15, 2017 3:34 PM
Answers · 5
2
The exact translation of this is actually a Latin word which you may recognise: factotum. For example, 'I'm a vegetable-peeler, porter, cleaner, dishwasher and general factotum'. It's quite an old-fashioned word, though, and I'd be surprised to hear a young person use it. Colloquially, you could use the phrase 'jack-of-all-trades' or 'man Friday/girl Friday' (this is a reference to Robinson Crusoe's all-purpose servant). Another colloquial phrase that comes to mind is the self-deprecating term 'general dogsbody', meaning that you are at everyone's beck and call for all sorts of menial jobs that need doing. More officially, these job descriptions could be something like 'general office assistant' or 'general kitchen assistant'. In the catering/hospitality trade, we also have the post of KP (kitchen porter) to describe the person who does most of the heavier and dirtier work behind the scenes - usually the lowest paid and hardest working person on the staff.
February 15, 2017
1
For the example you gave in a pizza place, that person would probably be called a kitchen porter. Roughly speaking the kitchen porter does the washing and drying up, prepares food for cooking (eg chops veg), takes care of food storage and things like that. In a more general way you can say something like "General Assistant" if you want it to sound official. Colloquially you can say "odd job's man" or (old-fashioned) "man of all work" normally for someone who is self employed and maybe they do a bit of painting/decorating, a bit of basic plumbing etc
February 15, 2017
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