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odd-job

odd-job

25 4.2
Work involving small, short tasks that are not regular or skilled
  • adjective
  • UK
translation icon : ocasional
  • He often picks up odd jobs like mowing lawns or walking dogs to earn extra cash.
  • find odd-job work

Examples

  • Even with the allowance she now receives, she has to do odd jobs to make ends meet.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • We give him odd jobs now and then.

  • Ah, man, just doing odd jobs, you know?

  • What sort of odd jobs does this man do?

  • The hero worked odd jobs along the road.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Well, I do all kinds of odd jobs.

  • Whereas Joseph has to make do with odd jobs.

  • For those sidelined from full-time work, odd jobs are critical to financial survival.

    Blog text (6)
  • Nicolle moved out of his mother's house and worked odd jobs in Coos Bay.

    Blog text (5)
  • Dave worked tirelessly, mowing lawns and doing odd jobs for neighbors.

    Fiction book (2001)

Synonyms

menial
vsodd-job
22 5.4

Work that does not need much skill, like cleaning or carrying things

is varied, casual, and temporary rather than fixed domestic duties
unskilled
vsodd-job
11 1.9

A job that does not need special training

is casual, varied, and not permanent in nature

Antonyms

870 1.0

Happening at fixed times on a schedule

324 2.6

For the whole normal working time for a job or course

How Skilled

professional
401 3.7
skilled
172 3.5
odd-job
  • UK
25 4.2
unskilled
11 1.9

Surface Forms

odd-job positive

Morphology

odd-job = odd + job (transparent) = odd + job

The sense is directly composed from 'odd' (meaning occasional/miscellaneous) + 'job' (task), so learners who know the base words can derive the meaning.

Etymology

Odd-job comes from the simple parts odd ('not regular' or 'left over') and job ('task' or 'work'), so it means a small, casual task or a group of simple jobs you do when you do not have regular work.