dogsbody
UK /ˈdɒɡz.bɒ.dɪ/ · US /ˈdɔɡz.bɑ.di/ noun, verb
Forms dogsbodies dogsbodying dogsbodied
- noun (UK, Ireland) A person who does menial work, a servant.
- verb To act as a dogsbody, to do menial work:
Synonyms
batman grunt factotum gofer handyman jack of all trades odd job workhorse
Etymology
From dog + -s- + body. 1818, British navy slang (dog's body), 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.
Sources: Wiktionary — from the Wiktionary entry “dogsbody”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details