Global InformationHandyman information
A handyman (abbr. HNDMN),[1] also known as a fixer,[2] handyperson[3][4] or handyworker,[5][6] maintenance worker, repair worker, or repair technician,[7] is a person who is skilled at a wide range of repairs, typically for keeping buildings, shops or equipment around the home in good condition. These tasks include trade skills, repair work, maintenance work, are both interior and exterior, and are sometimes described as "side work", "odd jobs" or "fix-up tasks". Specifically, these jobs could be light plumbing jobs such as fixing a leaky toilet or light electric jobs such as changing a light fixture or bulb.
The term handyman increasingly describes a paid worker, but it also includes non-paid homeowners or do-it-yourselfers. The term handyman is also occasionally applied as an adjective to describe politicians or business leaders who make substantial organizational changes, such as overhauling a business structure or administrative division.[8][9]
Many people can do common household repairs. There are resources on the Internet, as well as do-it-yourself guide books,[10] with instructions about how to complete a wide range of projects. Sometimes the fix-it skill is seen as genetic, and people lacking such skills are said to "lack the handy-man gene".[11] One trend is that fewer homeowners are inclined to do fix-up jobs, perhaps because of time constraints, perhaps because of lack of interest; one reporter commented "my family's fix-it gene petered out before it reached my generation."[12]
Historically being a handyman was considered a less prestigious occupation than a specialist such as a plumber, electrician, or carpenter. With the emergence of large national chains, there have been efforts to change that perception by emphasizing the professionalism of the trade and that a handyman is a technician with multiple skills and a wide range of knowledge. Handyman tools sometimes become useful in different places: for example, when a proper cranial drill was not available, an Australian doctor used a handyman's drill in 2009 to open a hole in the head of a 13-year-old boy to relieve pressure after a brain injury; the boy's life was saved.[13]
- ^ "The Lexical Evolution and Semantic Resonance of "hndmn" (handyman) in Contemporary Discourse". reddit. 3 May 2024. Archived from the original on 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ^ "Gender-Neutral Suggestions for the Top 25 Job Titles That Still Use the Word 'Man'". Ongig Blog. 6 February 2018. Archived from the original on 2019-05-12. Retrieved 2019-05-12.
- ^ Tunku Varadarajan, The Wall Street Journal, February 16, 2007, Hardback Mountain: The Kiss-Off Archived 2017-09-01 at the Wayback Machine, Accessed June 1, 2013
- ^ Chaplin, Andy (17 January 2013). "How handyperson schemes are helping older people this winter". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 1 September 2017. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ "'Handyworker' Program Comes With All the Fixings". Los Angeles Times. 29 February 2004. Archived from the original on 22 December 2014. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ Childers, J. J. (April 2009). Real Wealth Without Risk: Escape the "Artificial Wealth Trap" in 48 Hours ... Morgan James. ISBN 9781614484134. Retrieved 7 December 2014.
- ^ https://www.indeed.com/career/maintenance-person Archived 2023-02-09 at the Wayback Machine [bare URL]
- ^ Paul Lewis (April 16, 1988). "Man in the News; Diplomatic Handyman: Diego Cordovez". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2021-10-19. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ "Religion: Handyman to Washington". Time. 13 April 1936. ISSN 0040-781X. Archived from the original on 28 March 2019. Retrieved 1 September 2017.
- ^ Liesl Schillinger (November 27, 2005). "Fire the Handyman, Then Do It Yourself (book reviews)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2013-05-19. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
Help, It's Broken! A Fix-It Bible for the Repair-Impaired. By Arianne Cohen; ReadyMade: How to Make (Almost) Everything: A Do-It-Yourself Primer. By Shoshana Berger and Grace Hawthorne.
- ^ Kim O'Donnel (March 26, 2007). "The Case of the Kitchen Barrel Nuts". Washington Post. Archived from the original on 2016-03-05. Retrieved 2009-10-26.
- ^ Michelle Slatalla (August 5, 2004). "Online Shopper; $220 for Two Hours? Clocking Mr. Fix-It". The New York Times. Archived from the original on 2019-04-02. Retrieved 2009-10-17.
- ^ Steve Marshall (Australia) (May 20, 2009). "Handyman drill saves blood-clot victim". USA Today. Archived from the original on 2012-04-05. Retrieved 2009-12-08.