jack's as good as his master

Preserved but no longer current.

Meaning · English

An old proverb (like "When Adam delve'd and Eve span*'; see ADAM) indicating the equality of man.

Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)

Sources & notes

Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.

Common questions

What does “jack's as good as his master” mean?

An old proverb (like "When Adam delve'd and Eve span*'; see ADAM) indicating the equality of man.

Is “jack's as good as his master” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.