I'm trying to find a noun that embodies a range of crafty skills. This word would ideally follow my adjective "craftiest" and would describe someone (typically a woman) who could be seen as someone who covers range of titles such as seamstress, homemaker, baker, and general crafts like that. Is there any such word?
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4If you throw in convicted felon, you have Martha Stewart.– Canis LupusSep 5, 2014 at 23:39
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@CanisLupus: The craft in this case is "insider trading", the convicted felon part was just the result. ;) More seriously, I'm pretty sure that I heard "she's a Martha Stewart" as an expression that describes exactly what the OP is asking about. Even though that might have sounded more complimentary before she went to prison.– Reto KoradiSep 6, 2014 at 17:29
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Google Becky Homecky. (I immediately thought of that when I read what you described.) Some may think it's a demeaning term, but there are plenty of women who embrace it. Homecky stands for Home Economics.– JLGSep 8, 2014 at 13:12
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7 Answers
Domestic goddess is not a single word (unless you accept the hyphenated form), defined in various places, but most completely in the Urban Dictionary:
A female who excels at baking, cooking, cleaning-housework of all sorts. She loves to please and enjoys hearing compliments about her awesomeness around the house/kitchen. She may sew, knit, have domestic hobbies that come out well. She doesn't have to have children to be considered a domestic goddess.
This is similar to a domestic engineer, who is typically a woman who manages household affairs.
The difference may be that a domestic engineer accomplishes all of those things with hard work, while a domestic goddess has a natural talent or flair and seems to do them with considerably less effort.
answered Sep 5, 2014 at 23:45
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I like it. This sounds like the modern term to replace "homemaker" though my wife says she isn't too fond of the term 'goddess' but I don't mind calling her one anyway, haha. :) Sep 5, 2014 at 23:59
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1I would say she is just being modest. (And if we're talking about your wife, I would steer clear of any Martha Stewart references.) Sep 6, 2014 at 0:16
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Or domestic diva (although I'd like to think it is not limited to those of the female persuasion).– bibSep 6, 2014 at 0:27
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I like domestic diva as well. I suppose this is the best choice, though it might sound a little strange to say someone is "the craftiest domestic goddess/diva around". Sep 8, 2014 at 13:34
I think that "homemaker" does embody the other skills you're listing (baking, sewing, etc), and that you won't find a better word for this than that. I could be mistaken, but I can't think of anything else I've come across that would be a better fit.
handywoman
a woman who is competent in a variety of small skills or inventive or ingenious in repair or maintenance work
There is an idiomatic phrase also: jill of all trades
(idiomatic) A woman competent in many endeavors, especially one who excels in none of them.
You can consider artisan (or craftsman/craftswoman) also but they are skilled at a particular craft rather than multiple crafts.
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I like these. Might 'artisan' also apply? It's the only other title I could think of, and it does appear to be a noun, though I often think of it as an adjective. Sep 5, 2014 at 23:14
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@purefusion: My answers are related to women. You can use artisan as a general term.– ermanenSep 5, 2014 at 23:19
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@purefusion: Though, artisan (or craftsman/craftswoman) is skilled at a particular craft rather than multiple crafts.– ermanenSep 5, 2014 at 23:32
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I doubt you'll find a single word that doesn't sound outlandish (eg factotum, which, however, doesn't convey the 'skilled' sense). OLD gives
a man/woman of (many) parts
a person with many skills
but my wife says that's tautologous in the case of the woman.
answered Sep 5, 2014 at 22:53
The word that came to my mind was homemaker.
which Oxford Dictionaries define as:
A person who works at home and takes care of the house and family
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Homemaker just sounds a bit archaic, and per O.L.D.'s definition not necessarily implies skills in the specific areas mentioned. Just concerned that today's youth wouldn't necessarily relate to or fully understand that term as many of these skills are becoming lost arts. Sep 5, 2014 at 23:10
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I actually hear people use the word homemaker to describe themselves in this context quite often where I am from. You are correct that it doesn't fully convey all the skills you mentioned, then again you asked for a word that describes a variety of skills relating to crafts you would find around the home such as sewing and baking and I doubt there is a better word in common usage to convey that idea than homemaker. Sep 5, 2014 at 23:34
This posting's introductory sentence ("I'm trying to find a noun that embodies a range of crafty skills.") had me confused.
The chief meaning of "crafty", and the one that I thought of when I first read the sentence, is "clever at achieving one's aims by indirect or deceitful methods." Among its synonyms are: cunning, wily, guileful, artful, devious, sly, tricky, scheming, calculating, designing, sharp, shrewd, astute, canny; duplicitous, dishonest, deceitful.
There is a much less common second meaning, namely "of, involving, or relating to the making of decorative objects and other things by hand." I had never come across this second meaning for crafty before I read it in this posting.
In my opinion, it would have been clearer if the introductory sentence had been "I'm trying to find a noun that embodies a range of craft skills" rather than "...crafty skills". Or else the word could have been put in quotes (..."crafty" skills) to emphasize that a meaning other than the chief meaning of "crafty" was meant.
I know this is an "O.L.D." question/post but I'd like to throw in my 2 cents worth just incase someone happens upon this at a later date as I did. I think I like Self Made Woman or Domestic Self Made Diva or Woman of Many Traits. Yeah, I think I'm gonna use one of those! :)
