万金油 (mò) — (figurative) jack-of-all-trades, master of none; someone who can do a bit of everything but isn't an expert; (literal) balm, medicated ointment
Definition
Literally a medicated balm (like Tiger Balm); figuratively, a 'jack-of-all-trades, master of none' — someone who dabbles in everything but excels at nothing. The figurative sense is what you'll see in modern writing.
noun
(figurative) jack-of-all-tradesmaster of nonesomeone who can do a bit of everything but isn't an expert(literal) balmmedicated ointment
Examples
- 万金油，，。Tā zài gōng sī lǐ jiù shì gè mò, shén me dōu huì yì diǎn, dàn shén me dōu bù jīng.He's a jack-of-all-trades at the company — knows a bit of everything but isn't an expert at anything.
- ，万金油，。Zhè ge ruǎn jiàn gōng néng hěn duō, dàn yǒu rén shuō tā shì mò, méi yǒu hé xīn jìng zhēng lì.This software has many features, but some say it's a jack-of-all-trades with no core competitiveness.
- 万金油，。Lǎo yí bèi de rén jiā lǐ cháng bèi mò, tóu téng nǎo rè jiù mǒ yì diǎn.Older generations always kept balm at home — they'd rub a bit on for headaches or minor fevers.
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