man Friday
1
8.4
- noun
- /mæn ˈfraɪdeɪ/
- Informal
:
hombre de confianza
- A 19-year-old San Pablo man Friday became the second defendant to plead guilty in the brutal gang rape of a 16-year-old Richmond High girl in 2009.
Examples
-
In the office, Tom is often seen as the man Friday, organizing everything for the team.
-
Rob is Cube's driver and man Friday, always ready to help with important tasks.
-
Both the white hero and the native are involved in the project of bringing "civilization" to the wilderness; Mingo, much like Robinson Crusoe's man Friday or the Lone Ranger's sidekick, Tonto, is, predictably, a junior partner in this enterprise.
Academic text (2014) -
When his uncle needed extra help, Vern was glad to be his man Friday during the busy season.
Synonyms
623
5.5
A male servant or helper who works for someone
30
3.5
A person who helps a leader and is trusted with important work
11
7.4
A man who works in someone's house doing jobs like cleaning and helping with meals
1
9.1
A man who helps a rich man dress and looks after his personal needs
1
8.6
A man who helps someone by doing many different tasks
How Helpful
Surface Forms
Morphology
man + Friday
This phrase is not compositionally predictable from 'man' (male) + 'Friday' (a day of the week); it is a cultural/literary reference (from Robinson Crusoe) meaning a trusted assistant. A B1 learner who knows the constituent words but not the idiom or background story will not infer the sense, so the expression is effectively opaque rather than transparently built from its parts.
Etymology
Man Friday comes from the loyal helper Friday in the old book 'Robinson Crusoe', where he stayed with and helped the man who was alone on an island. So today man Friday means a reliable 'assistant' or 'helper' who can be trusted with many tasks.