JOB
ADJECTIVES
► CUSHY of a job, situation, etc.: undemanding, easy; requiring little or no effort; later, involving little effort, but ample oe disproportionate rewards → 1895 sl., orig. military usage
► HUMP-AND-JUMP of a job: physically demanding and fast-paced → 1977 US sl.
NOUNS
► ALPHABET JOB an easy assignment or task; a government civilian job → World War II Amer. sl.
► APPO an application form for a job → 1990 sl.
► AROHA JOB a job done out of friendship without charge or at reduced rates → 1985 NZ sl.
► BERTH a job; an appointment to a job → 1778 sl.
► BLUDGE a period of lazy inactivity; also, a job needing no effort → 1943 Aust. sl.
► CAKE JOB an easy job → 1990 US sl.
► COUPLE OF BOB a job → 1992 UK rhyming sl.
► DAY GIG a nonmusical job a musician is forced to take for need of money → 1940s US Black sl.
► DAY JOB a conventional job, usually used to finance a person’s true interest or passion → 1994 US sl.
► DIGS a job → 1973 US sl.
► DOORKNOB a job → 20C rhyming sl.
► EARN any job or plan that pays well, almost invariably criminal → 1960s sl., orig. UK criminals’ usage
► EASY GO an unstrenuous job → 1983 US sl.
► ELT a heavy, laborious job → 1907 Sc.
► GAFF a job, an occupation; a legitimate job, work → 1910 sl.
► GIG work; any job or occupation → 1950s Amer. sl.
► GOVERNMENT JOB personal work done on company time → 1968 Amer. dial.
► GRAVY TRAIN a job requiring comparatively little work for good pay, benefits, etc. → sl.
► HAIM a job, usually tedious or unpleasant → 1940s African-American sl.
► HAME a job; vocation → 1972 Amer. dial.
► HANG a job → 1970 US sl. (Bk.)
► HARKANY a job → 1895 Eng. dial.
► HOB-JOB an unskilled job, an odd job, e.g. holding horses, carrying parcels → L19 sl.
► HUSTLE a job, a means of earning a living → 1940s US Black sl.
► JOBBISM the practice of corruptly turning a public office, trust, etc. to private gain or advantage; the perpetration of jobs → 1807 nonce word
► JOE JOB a menial or monotonous task; an unstimulating, low-paid job with few prospects → 1948 colloq., chiefly Can.
► KIP a job → 1920s Anglo-Irish
► LAY a job, a deal; a basic term for any enterprise (usually illegal) which brings a monetary return → L18 cant
► LURK a job or occupation → 1916 Aust. & NZ sl.
► MCJOB a pointless, usually menial job with no prospects or job satisfaction → 1980s sl. orig. US
► NICE LITTLE EARNER any job or plan that pays well, almost invariably criminal → 1960s sl., orig. UK criminals’ usage
► RACKET a job, trade, or profession → 1891 UK sl.
► SCODGES chores, dirty domestic jobs → 1969 Sc.
► SITE a job or occupation → 1930 US nautical usage
► SLAVE a job, esp. a menial, poorly paid job → 1965 US sl.
► SPELL JOB a job of uncertain or indefinite duration → 1980s Ulster usage
► TACK an agreement, compact, bargain; hence, a post, situation, a steady job → 1718 Sc.
► TANTLING-JOB a small, trifling job; one that does not require all one’s energy → Bk1905 Eng. dial.
► UNCLE BOB a job → 1990s rhyming sl.
NOUNS – PERSON
► BEACH-COMBER one who hangs about the seashore or river-band on the lookout for jobs → 1885 Eng. nautical sl.
► BUMBOY a person who performs all kinds of tasks, esp. menial ones → 1907
► CAD an odd job man; a messenger or errand boy → 1835 Eng
► CADDIE ► CADDY a boy or man on the lookout for odd jobs → M18
► CADGER one who does odd jobs → Bk1898 Eng. dial.
► FACTOTUM an odd-job man; a handyman; a man of all work → 1584
► GRAVE-JUMPER someone who takes another’s job, seat, etc., with indecent haste → Bk1999 Aust. sl.
► GRAVY-RIDER a person with an easy job → 1920s US sl.
► GROBBLER a person who does odd jobs; an inefficient workman → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► HOB-JOBBER a man or boy walking the streets on the look out for small jobs → M19 sl.
► JACK a serving-man or male attendant; a labourer; a man who does odd jobs, etc. → 1836-7
► JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES a person who can do many different things but specializes in none; one who has a smattering knowledge of all crafts; an odd job man; a handyman → 1618
► JACK OF ALL TRADES AND MASTER OF NONE a person who can do many different things but specializes in none; one who has a smattering knowledge of all crafts; an odd job man; a handyman → Bk1958
► JACK OF ALL WORKS a jack-of-all-trades; an odd job man; a handyman→ 1820
► JIM-HAND an odd-job man → 1927 Amer. dial.
► JIN-WHACKER a person who does odd jobs; a handyman → 1976 Amer. dial.
► JOBLER one who does jobs or small pieces of work → 1662 obs.
► JUMPER one who quits a job → 1904 US
► LACKEY-BOY a hired hand; an odd-job man for the farm → Bk1992 Amer.
► LARY a servant, a drudge, an odd-job man → 1825 Sc. obs.
► LIFER a person who intends to work at the same job until retirement; a careerist → 1970 Amer. sl.
► MOONLIGHTER someone who works at more than one job → 1957 sl.
► NATTLER one who gets his living by doing odd jobs → Bk1905 Eng. dial.
► ODD MAN a man employed on a farm to do odd jobs; a workman who does odd jobs → 1750 Eng. dial.
► ODD MAN OUT a domestic servant, an odd-job man → 1840 obs.
► SCOURY a drudge; an odd-job man → 1741 Sc.
► TIFFLER one who does little jobs cleverly → Bk1905 Eng. dial.
► UBIQUITARY a journeyman of all trades; an odd-job man; a handyman → 1615 obs.
► USHER OF THE BACK DOOR the odd-job man in a great house → L19 UK society sl.
► WOOD-AND-WATER JOEY an odd-job man → 1926 Aust. sl.
PHRASES
► SITTING NEXT TO NELLY learning an occupation on the job by observing how others do it → 1963 sl.
► THERE ARE ALWAYS MORE ROUND PEGS THAN SQUARE HOLES there are always more applicants than jobs → L19 colloq.
VERBS
► BLACKSHEEP to take another person’s job → 1925 Amer. dial.
► BULLCOOK to do odd jobs → 1956 Amer. dial.
► CADGE to do odd jobs → Bk1898 Eng. dial.
► CAG to idle, to potter about; to do odd jobs → Bk1898 Eng. dial.
► CARRY A LAZY MAN’S LOAD to attempt to complete a job too soon → 1957 Amer. dial.
► DAFFLE to do odd jobs, any sort of light work → Bk1900 Eng. dial.
► DEADHEAD to work at a useless job → 1958 Amer. dial.
► GET A NIBBLE to get an easy job → Bk1902 tailors’ sl.
► GIVE SOMEONE THE WORKS to be given a job by a social agency → 1930 US tramps’ sl.
► GRABBLE to do odd jobs → 1900 Eng. dial. (Bk.)
► HIT THE SIDEWALKS to walk the streets searching for a job → 20C US sl.
► JIM AROUND to do odd jobs; to loaf about, to potter, to trifle → 1912 Amer. dial.
► KAG to idle, to potter about; to do odd jobs → Bk1898 Eng. dial.
► MOONLIGHT to have more than one job → 1957 sl., orig. US
► NESTLE to trifle; to do light work or odd jobs → Bk1905 Eng. dial.
► ODD to work at odd jobs → 1861 Eng. dial.
► PACK IT IN to give up one’s job → L1940s sl., chiefly manual workers’
► PAUCHLE to do odd jobs for a gratuity, to earn tips → 1898 Sc.
► SANDPAPER THE ANCHOR to perform a job that need not and, in fact, cannot be performed → 1975 US sl.
► SCODGE to do rough menial work; to act as a drudge; to do odd jobs → 1808 Sc.
► SING OLD ROSE AND BURN THE BELLOWS to rejoice over the termination of a long and troublesome job → Bk1898 Eng. dial.
► TALK SHOP of people in the same trade or profession: to discuss one’s job; → M19 sl.
► TIFFLE ► TIFLE to do any small fidgety job requiring care or nicety → Bk1905 Eng. dial.
► TINKLE to do odd jobs; to do anything imperfectly; to repair awkwardly → 1869 Eng. dial.
Lexicophilia 