odd-job
B1 (Intermediate)Informal, everyday, occasional in business contexts when discussing temporary work.
Definition
Meaning
a piece of casual, small, unskilled work, often of a temporary nature and not part of a regular job.
To perform a variety of small, miscellaneous tasks, especially domestic repairs or maintenance.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The term often implies work that is unskilled, unspecialized, or not part of a formal employment contract. It carries connotations of being ad-hoc, varied, and sometimes low-paid. The hyphenated form 'odd-job' is most common as a modifier (e.g., odd-job man). The verb form is often 'to do odd jobs'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Usage is broadly similar. The term 'odd-job man' (UK) is more common than 'handyman' (UK/US), but 'handyman' is prevalent in the US. In the US, 'gig work' or 'side hustle' are modern, broader synonyms that can encompass odd jobs.
Connotations
In both varieties, it can imply economic precarity or informal employment. In the UK, it may have a slightly more traditional, domestic connotation (e.g., gardening, fixing a fence).
Frequency
Slightly more frequent in UK English, but common in both.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
do [odd jobs] [for sb]work as [an odd-job man]pick up [odd jobs] [here and there]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Jack of all trades (master of none) - often used to describe someone who does odd jobs.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Can refer to temporary, unskilled contract work. e.g., 'We hire a few people on an odd-job basis during the summer.'
Academic
Rare, except in sociological discussions of informal labour markets.
Everyday
Very common. e.g., 'He does odd jobs for the neighbours to earn extra cash.'
Technical
Not typically used in technical fields.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- He odd-jobbed his way through university.
- She's been odd-jobbing for a local builder.
American English
- He odd-jobbed around the neighbourhood after retiring.
- They odd-job to make ends meet.
adjective
British English
- He worked as an odd-job man.
- She took on odd-job work during the holidays.
American English
- He found some odd-job work through an app.
- They hired an odd-job worker for the day.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- My brother does odd jobs in the garden.
- I need an odd-job man to fix the window.
- During the summer, he picks up odd jobs like painting fences and cleaning gutters.
- She earns a bit of money by doing odd jobs for elderly neighbours.
- Rather than taking a full-time position, he prefers the freedom of working on a variety of odd-job projects.
- The platform connects homeowners with people willing to do odd jobs.
- The proliferation of the gig economy has formalised what was once the domain of the casual odd-jobber.
- His income was a precarious patchwork of odd-job engagements and short-term contracts.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'ODD' as meaning 'strange' or 'irregular' + 'JOB'. An odd job is an irregular, miscellaneous piece of work.
Conceptual Metaphor
WORK IS A COLLECTION OF OBJECTS (some are standard, some are 'odd' or irregular).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation to 'странная работа'. It does not mean 'strange work' in the sense of weird. Use 'подработка', 'разовая работа', 'мелкая работа по дому'. The compound 'odd-job man' is 'разнорабочий', 'человек на все руки'.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'odd job' without the hyphen as a direct adjective (e.g., 'He is an odd job man' - incorrect). Should be 'odd-job man' or 'He does odd jobs'.
- Using it as a countable noun for a single task: 'I have an odd job to do' is acceptable, but 'I have an odd-job to do' is less common.
Practice
Quiz
Which phrase best describes the nature of 'odd jobs'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is most commonly hyphenated, especially when used as a modifier before a noun (e.g., odd-job man, odd-job work). The noun phrase is often two words: 'odd jobs'.
They are very similar. 'Odd-job man' often emphasises the informal, varied, and unskilled nature of the work. 'Handyman' can imply a slightly higher degree of practical skill and is a more standard job title. 'Handyman' is more common in American English.
Yes, but it is informal and less common than the noun usage. It means to work at odd jobs (e.g., 'He odd-jobbed for a year before finding steady work').
It is generally neutral but context-dependent. It can imply resourcefulness and flexibility. However, it can also suggest a lack of stable, skilled employment and low income, carrying a slight connotation of economic vulnerability.