Origin of "Jobsworth"

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be - "jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

It comes from an employee sticking strictly to the rules and policies of
the employer and not being reasoanbly flexible. He or she says "It's
more than my job's worth to...".

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

the Omrud

2010-04-19 16:49:06 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be - "jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

It comes from an employee sticking strictly to the rules and policies of
the employer and not being reasoanbly flexible. He or she says "It's
more than my job's worth to...".

I first heard it on "That's Life", a BBC TV consumer programme in the
1980s. They illustrated the "jobsworth" slot with a peaked cap, as worn
by a commissionaire or security guard.

OED shows one earlier reference:

1970 Melody Maker 12 Sept. 29/4 If you are a taxi-driver, jobsworth or
policeman, you will now be able to understand hippie lingo.

1982 Times 2 Oct. 19/1 That's Life. Consumer programme which includes
the first contenders for the Jobsworth Award, given to the person who
enforces the most stupid rule.

--
David

James Hogg

2010-04-19 17:22:38 UTC

Post by the Omrud

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be - "jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

It comes from an employee sticking strictly to the rules and policies of
the employer and not being reasoanbly flexible. He or she says "It's
more than my job's worth to...".

I first heard it on "That's Life", a BBC TV consumer programme in the
1980s. They illustrated the "jobsworth" slot with a peaked cap, as worn
by a commissionaire or security guard.
1970 Melody Maker 12 Sept. 29/4 If you are a taxi-driver, jobsworth or
policeman, you will now be able to understand hippie lingo.
1982 Times 2 Oct. 19/1 That's Life. Consumer programme which includes
the first contenders for the Jobsworth Award, given to the person who
enforces the most stupid rule.

Wiki says that Jeremy Taylor wrote his song in the late 1960s.

--
James

Pablo

2010-04-19 18:45:35 UTC

Post by the Omrud
I first heard it on "That's Life", a BBC TV consumer programme in the
1980s.

Oh, how I miss those dogs that say "sausages" and the potato-genitals.

--
Pablo

the Omrud

2010-04-19 18:49:16 UTC

Post by Pablo

Post by the Omrud
I first heard it on "That's Life", a BBC TV consumer programme in the
1980s.

Oh, how I miss those dogs that say "sausages" and the potato-genitals.

If you were not being Furrin, you could move to Luton and vote for that
Esther Rantzen.

--
David

Jonathan Morton

2010-04-19 19:59:43 UTC

Post by the Omrud

Post by Pablo

Post by the Omrud
I first heard it on "That's Life", a BBC TV consumer programme in the
1980s.

Oh, how I miss those dogs that say "sausages" and the potato-genitals.

If you were not being Furrin, you could move to Luton and vote for that
Esther Rantzen.

I remembered the song, but hadn't realised it pre-dated the Esther Rantzen
usage.

This is a fair summary:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jobsworth

Regards

Jonathan

Ian Noble

2010-04-27 21:54:32 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be - "jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.
PsS
--------------------------------------------------------------------
A fictional account of how to drastically reform the financial world...
More at http://PinstripeSniper.blogspot.com and if that gets banned, check
www.PinstripeSniper.com

Cheers - Ian
(BrE: Yorks., Hants.)

A***@DENTURESsussex.ac.uk

2010-04-29 10:38:02 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be - "jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

I may have arrived in this thread a bit late, so my apologies if I'm
repeating anything here.

I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show called
"That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen. They cited various
instances where some officious person (usually a worker at a local authority)
refused to do something out-of-the-ordinary because he was frightened of
being sacked/fired, often saying "it's more than my job's worth". They soon
created a "Jobsworth Award" for the most ridiculous examples.

--
Andy Clews
University of Sussex
*** Remove DENTURES if replying by email ***

Donna Richoux

2010-04-29 15:14:34 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be - "jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

I may have arrived in this thread a bit late, so my apologies if I'm
repeating anything here.
I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show called
"That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen. They cited various
instances where some officious person (usually a worker at a local authority)
refused to do something out-of-the-ordinary because he was frightened of
being sacked/fired, often saying "it's more than my job's worth". They soon
created a "Jobsworth Award" for the most ridiculous examples.

Focus has been on the single word "jobsworth" but nobody has given the
history of the source phrase "more than my job's worth".

Google Books has 3 hits for "my job's worth" before 1910 and ten more up
to 1920. The two most relevant early ones:

Land ho! - Page 73
Morgan Robertson - Fiction - 1905 - 321 pages
But it's all my job's worth if he finds it out." In darkness and silence
Scotty spent the next three hours seated on a coal pile far down below
the deck. ...
[Wikipedia: Morgan Andrew Robertson (September 30, 1861 - March 24,
1915) was a well-known American author of short stories and novels...]

To the front: a sequel to Cadet days - Page 125
Charles King - 1908 - 260 pages
"You know perfectly no Time Freight on this road takes a passenger of
any kind, and it would be more'n my job's worth to take you!" "Then, in
God's name, ...

--
Best -- Donna Richoux

A***@DENTURESsussex.ac.uk

2010-04-30 07:43:33 UTC

Post by A***@DENTURESsussex.ac.uk
I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show called
"That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen. They cited various
instances where some officious person (usually a worker at a local authority)
refused to do something out-of-the-ordinary because he was frightened of
being sacked/fired, often saying "it's more than my job's worth". They soon
created a "Jobsworth Award" for the most ridiculous examples.

That of course was back in the 1970s/1980s. What with the obsession with
Health & Safety and political correctness these days, the Jobsworth Awards
would be absolutely flying off the shelves were they still being awarded.

--
Andy Clews
University of Sussex
*** Remove DENTURES if replying by email ***

James Hogg

2010-04-30 08:33:36 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be -
"jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

I may have arrived in this thread a bit late, so my apologies if I'm
repeating anything here.
I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show
called "That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen. They
cited various instances where some officious person (usually a worker
at a local authority) refused to do something out-of-the-ordinary
because he was frightened of being sacked/fired, often saying "it's
more than my job's worth". They soon created a "Jobsworth Award" for
the most ridiculous examples.

Jeremy Taylor has kindly informed me by email that he wrote the song in
the late sixties after touring with a small band in which they started
referring to the various "jobsworths" they encountered. The word was
coined in the band and Jeremy wrote the song about it. Esther Rantzen
got to hear of it and Jeremy did a video recording of the song for the
first episode of her programme.

--
James

James Hogg

2010-04-30 08:38:27 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be -
"jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

I may have arrived in this thread a bit late, so my apologies if
I'm repeating anything here.
I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show
called "That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen.
They cited various instances where some officious person (usually a
worker at a local authority) refused to do something
out-of-the-ordinary because he was frightened of being
sacked/fired, often saying "it's more than my job's worth". They
soon created a "Jobsworth Award" for the most ridiculous examples.

Jeremy Taylor has kindly informed me by email that he wrote the song
in the late sixties after touring with a small band in which they
started referring to the various "jobsworths" they encountered. The
word was coined in the band and Jeremy wrote the song about it.
Esther Rantzen got to hear of it and Jeremy did a video recording of
the song for the first episode of her programme.

PS

After Jeremy had returned to South Africa in the eighties Spike wrote to
congratulate him because "jobsworth" was now in the dictionary.

--
James

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

2010-04-30 09:49:36 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be -
"jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

I may have arrived in this thread a bit late, so my apologies if
I'm repeating anything here.
I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show
called "That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen.
They cited various instances where some officious person (usually a
worker at a local authority) refused to do something
out-of-the-ordinary because he was frightened of being
sacked/fired, often saying "it's more than my job's worth". They
soon created a "Jobsworth Award" for the most ridiculous examples.

Jeremy Taylor has kindly informed me by email that he wrote the song
in the late sixties after touring with a small band in which they
started referring to the various "jobsworths" they encountered. The
word was coined in the band and Jeremy wrote the song about it.
Esther Rantzen got to hear of it and Jeremy did a video recording of
the song for the first episode of her programme.

PS
After Jeremy had returned to South Africa in the eighties Spike wrote to
congratulate him because "jobsworth" was now in the dictionary.

Interesting. Thank you.

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

2010-04-30 10:26:20 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be -
"jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

I may have arrived in this thread a bit late, so my apologies if
I'm repeating anything here.
I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show
called "That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen.
They cited various instances where some officious person (usually a
worker at a local authority) refused to do something
out-of-the-ordinary because he was frightened of being
sacked/fired, often saying "it's more than my job's worth". They
soon created a "Jobsworth Award" for the most ridiculous examples.

Jeremy Taylor has kindly informed me by email that he wrote the song
in the late sixties after touring with a small band in which they
started referring to the various "jobsworths" they encountered. The
word was coined in the band and Jeremy wrote the song about it.
Esther Rantzen got to hear of it and Jeremy did a video recording of
the song for the first episode of her programme.

PS
After Jeremy had returned to South Africa in the eighties Spike wrote to
congratulate him because "jobsworth" was now in the dictionary.

Putting together the information from Jeremy Taylor, the OED and Wikip
it seems that:

1. the Beatles used "it's more than my job's worth" in the 1965 movie
Help!.

2. Jeremy Taylor coined "Jobsworth". He used it in the song of that name
in the late 1960s. The word is spoken by the officious official in the
phrase "Jobsworth, Jobsworth, It's more than me job's worth".
"Jobsworth" is used as shorthand for "It's more than me job's worth".

3. "1970 Melody Maker 12 Sept. 29/4 If you are a taxi-driver, jobsworth
or policeman, you will now be able to understand hippie lingo.

4. It was used in the TV show "That's Life" in the 1970s to mean an
officious official.

What I'm not clear about is whether Jeremy Taylor intended Jobsworth to
be a nickname for an officious official. Perhaps that followed soon
after the song was first sung.

The song is here:
http://youtu.be/fz44_Sp0K8A

At no point does it appear to dub the individual a jobsworth.

The Melody Maker magazine quote is the first clearcut use of jobsworth
as a noun.

--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in alt.usage.english)

James Hogg

2010-04-30 10:41:37 UTC

Post by Pinstripe Sniper
I'm curious how this English English term came to be -
"jobsworth".
It means an uncooperative or bureaucractic worker.

I may have arrived in this thread a bit late, so my apologies if
I'm repeating anything here.
I seem to recall that it originated in a consumer-oriented TV show
called "That's Life" in the 1970s, hosted by Esther Rantzen.
They cited various instances where some officious person (usually a
worker at a local authority) refused to do something
out-of-the-ordinary because he was frightened of being
sacked/fired, often saying "it's more than my job's worth". They
soon created a "Jobsworth Award" for the most ridiculous examples.

Jeremy Taylor has kindly informed me by email that he wrote the song
in the late sixties after touring with a small band in which they
started referring to the various "jobsworths" they encountered. The
word was coined in the band and Jeremy wrote the song about it.
Esther Rantzen got to hear of it and Jeremy did a video recording of
the song for the first episode of her programme.

PS
After Jeremy had returned to South Africa in the eighties Spike wrote to
congratulate him because "jobsworth" was now in the dictionary.

Putting together the information from Jeremy Taylor, the OED and Wikip
1. the Beatles used "it's more than my job's worth" in the 1965 movie
Help!.
2. Jeremy Taylor coined "Jobsworth". He used it in the song of that name
in the late 1960s. The word is spoken by the officious official in the
phrase "Jobsworth, Jobsworth, It's more than me job's worth".
"Jobsworth" is used as shorthand for "It's more than me job's worth".
3. "1970 Melody Maker 12 Sept. 29/4 If you are a taxi-driver, jobsworth
or policeman, you will now be able to understand hippie lingo.
4. It was used in the TV show "That's Life" in the 1970s to mean an
officious official.
What I'm not clear about is whether Jeremy Taylor intended Jobsworth to
be a nickname for an officious official. Perhaps that followed soon
after the song was first sung.

Jeremy's mail makes it clear that the boys in the band used the word as
a jocular name for these officious officials. That was what prompted
Jeremy to write the song.

--
James

Peter Duncanson (BrE)

2010-04-30 11:27:25 UTC