jobsworth
/ˈd͡ʒɑbzˌwɝθ/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: Zipf frequency 1.48 in modern English
24
Scrabble Score
9
Letters
2
Syllables
8
Unique Chars
Meaning
noun
A person who upholds trivial rules unnecessarily and obstructively in order to exercise their (typically minor) authority.
British usage; Derogatory; Informal
Example Sentences
- "The usual council jobsworths came down to tell them to stop playing football."
- "For many people, however, the stress of not having the correct ticket for a train or bus journey can lead to a particularly uncomfortable feeling … fear that they might encounter a jobsworth. […] Someone who has been caught out by a jobsworth, will probably accuse them of being an embittered, mean-spirited inadequate who are using their status to give themselves faux importance, justifying their actions by their twin mantras of "Rules is rules" and, inevitably, "It's more than my job's worth.""
- "Everyone knows a jobsworth. They are in our offices: the keeper of the stationery cupboard and the grumpy security guard. They add crucial extra minutes to the daily commute: the traffic warden who stands waiting for the time to tick over, the bus driver who drives past as you sprint for the bus stop."
- "But as within the rest of the civil service, competent, bright and ambitious staff who work long hours and often juggle multiple roles co-exist with the old-school jobsworths who punch-out the instant their daily seven hours 12 minutes are up."
Etymology
A 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”.
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈd͡ʒɑbzˌwɝθ/
- British English: /ˈd͡ʒɒbzwɜːθ/
Usage
- British usage
- Derogatory
- Informal