Question

factotum noun "Do everything!" That's a tall order, but it is exactly what a factotum is expected to do. It's also a literal translation of the New Latin term "factotum," which in turn traces to the Latin words "facere" ("to do") and "totum" ("everything"). In the 16th century, "factotum" was used in English much like a surname, paired with first names to create personalities such as "Johannes Factotum" (literally "John Do-everything"). Back then, it wasn't necessarily desirable to be called a "factotum"; the term was a synonym of "meddler" or "busybody." Now the word is more often used for a handy, versatile individual responsible for many different tasks. 1 : a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities2 : a general servant

Accepted Answer

February 6, 2013 fak-TOH-tuhm After graduating from college, Jerry worked for several years as an office factotum.   "It also was in contrast to the burgeoning and ballooning bureaucracy of the bank, which may not have rivaled the U.N. in its quantity of factotums, but still has swelled to more than 10,000 employees." - From an article by Zachary Karabell on The Daily Beast, March 24, 2012

Word	factotum
Date	February 6, 2013
Type	noun
Syllables	fak-TOH-tuhm
Etymology	"Do everything!" That's a tall order, but it is exactly what a factotum is expected to do. It's also a literal translation of the New Latin term "factotum," which in turn traces to the Latin words "facere" ("to do") and "totum" ("everything"). In the 16th century, "factotum" was used in English much like a surname, paired with first names to create personalities such as "Johannes Factotum" (literally "John Do-everything"). Back then, it wasn't necessarily desirable to be called a "factotum"; the term was a synonym of "meddler" or "busybody." Now the word is more often used for a handy, versatile individual responsible for many different tasks.
Examples	After graduating from college, Jerry worked for several years as an office factotum. "It also was in contrast to the burgeoning and ballooning bureaucracy of the bank, which may not have rivaled the U.N. in its quantity of factotums, but still has swelled to more than 10,000 employees." - From an article by Zachary Karabell on The Daily Beast, March 24, 2012
Definition	1 : a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities 2 : a general servant

Factotum Latin Term February Noun Fak Toh Tuhm Tall Order