# what do you call the person who... **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 23, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041 "2001-04-23T20:57:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![uhuru999](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d07c76/32.png) [@uhuru999](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/uhuru999)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/1 "2001-04-23T20:57:00Z")
What is the word for a person who knows a little bit about everything, but not a lot about anything? ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/2 "2001-04-23T21:01:37Z")
Jack of all trades, master of none. I’ve heard something similar about doctors: A GP knows less and less about more and more, until she knows nothing about everything. A specialist knows more and more about less and less, until he knows everything about nothing. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [April 23, 2001, 9:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/3 "2001-04-23T21:42:34Z")
Some would say “dilletante,” others would say, “Renaissance man.” –Nott, who may have spelled one of those words wrong… ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2001, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/4 "2001-04-24T16:49:09Z")
A **dabbler** or **dilettante** is an amateur who pursues work or study for the love of it, most often in one field only. A **Renaissance man** or **polymath** has deep knowledge in many fields. A **sciolist** or **smatterer** has superficial knowledge in many fields, and often tries to use that knowledge to pass himself off as a polymath. ---
**Author:** ![Sue\_Duhnym](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/91b2a8/32.png) [@Sue\_Duhnym](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sue_Duhnym)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2001, 5:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/5 "2001-04-24T17:33:44Z")
I always thought it was a _sexual intellectual_. AKA a _f-ing know-it-all_. ---
**Author:** ![Philster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/13edae/32.png) [@Philster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Philster)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2001, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/6 "2001-04-24T17:41:17Z")
What do you call a woman who knows everything about everything? Your wife. Saw this “ad” hanging in a house that was for sale, apparently because the couple was divorcing: For Sale: One set of Encyclopedia, no longer needed. Fuckin’ wife knows everything. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [April 24, 2001, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/7 "2001-04-24T22:39:39Z")
Socrates: "The only true wisdom consists in knowing that you know nothing.’" Ted: “That’s us, Dude!” Bill: “Oh yeah.” ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2001, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-do-you-call-the-person-who/63041/8 "2001-04-25T01:18:31Z")
…third base!