jobsworth
A person who upholds trivial rules unnecessarily and obstructively in order to…A person who upholds trivial rules unnecessarily and obstructively in order to exercise their (typically minor) authority.
» It's amazing how much power a fluorescent jacket gives to a jobsworth.
Вражає, як світловідбивна жилетка може перетворити людину на справжнього чинушу.
Meaning
1 senses(UK, derogatory, informal)A person who upholds trivial rules unnecessarily and obstructively in order to exercise their (typically minor) authority.
The usual council jobsworths came down to tell them to stop playing football.
Examples
2 sentencesIt's amazing how much power a fluorescent jacket gives to a jobsworth.
Вражає, як світловідбивна жилетка може перетворити людину на справжнього чинушу.
Only a jobsworth would fine someone for pouring a bit of coffee down a drain.
Лише дріб’язковий бюрократ оштрафував би когось за те, що він вилив трохи кави в стічну решітку.
Origin
A compound of job + -s- + worth, derived from the phrase “It’s more than me job’s worth” oA compound of job + -s- + worth, derived from the phrase “It’s more than me job’s worth” or “... my job’s worth” as used in denial of a request by a functionary, chiefly popularized by Jeremy Taylor's 1973 song “Jobsworth” and the 1973–1994 BBC television series That’s Life! which focused on consumer affairs and gave a “Jobsworth of the Week” award to “a startling tale of going by the book”.
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Forms
plural: jobsworths| Singular | jobsworth |
|---|---|
| Plural | jobsworths |
regular