journeyman

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for March 5, 2010 is: journeyman • \JER-nee-mun\ • noun 1 : a worker who has learned a trade and works for another person 2 : an experienced reliable worker, athlete, or performer Examples: The team is ready to trade three of its rookie hopefuls for the journeyman pitcher. Did you know? The "journey" in "journeyman" refers to a sense of this familiar word not often used anymore: "a day's labor." This sense of "journey" was first used in the 14th century. When "journeyman" appeared the following century, it originally referred to a person who, having learned a handicraft or trade through an apprenticeship, worked for daily wages. In the 16th century, "journeyman" picked up a figurative (and mainly deprecatory) sense; namely, "one who drudges for another." These days, however, "journeyman" has little to do with drudgery, and lots to do with knowing a trade inside out. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.