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dogsbody. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
dogsbody, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
dogsbody in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
dogsbody you have here. The definition of the word
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English
Etymology
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.
Pronunciation
Noun
dogsbody (plural dogsbodies)
- (British, Ireland) A person who does menial work, a servant.
1976, “Anarchy in the U.K.”, performed by Sex Pistols:'Cause I, I wanna be anarchy! / No dogsbody!
1994, Blackadder (television production):That's just Baldrick, my dogsbody.
1995, Paul Kussmaul, Training The Translator, John Benjamins Publishing Co, page 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.
Synonyms
Translations
Person who does menial work
Verb
dogsbody (third-person singular simple present dogsbodies, present participle dogsbodying, simple past and past participle dogsbodied)
- 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.
References