Some men are really good at fixing things, especially household appliances (though they're not really specialists or technicians). Are there any words to describe or refer to these people?
asked Nov 10, 2011 at 17:08
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23You might call him marriageable.– user13141Commented Nov 10, 2011 at 19:06
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3@onomatomaniak, one can argue that if you'd marry him, you will never see brand new anything for the rest of your life.– CatherineCommented Nov 10, 2011 at 23:28
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youtu.be/dXI43zGeyu4– Hot LicksCommented Apr 4, 2023 at 21:29
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4 Answers
Handy, which is something I'm not. (Just ask my wife...) MW says:
clever in using the hands especially in a variety of convenient ways [a man who is handy around the house]
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6But seldom applied to women, I think. 'A handy woman' suggests something altogether different. Commented Nov 10, 2011 at 17:23
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2@BarrieEngland: Handy without man or woman attached suffices. I had a girlfriend who was handy; she made furniture, and kept her BMW 2002 in tune...– GnawmeCommented Nov 10, 2011 at 17:29
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1@Gnawme: Well, but "handy" is an adjective. You can say, "I need someone handy to fix this toaster", but you wouldn't say, "Fred got a job as a handy."– JayCommented Nov 10, 2011 at 17:33
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5"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy." (from the Red Green show) Meaning that you should be able to fix or build things.– LarsHCommented Nov 10, 2011 at 22:27
The person is called a "handyman".
A handyman is a person skilled at a wide range of repairs, typically around the home.
From Wikipedia
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10Well, there's a subtlety there. I think "handy man" -- two words -- normally refers to any man who is skilled at fixing things around the house. But "handyman" -- one word -- is an occupation, someone who does minor repairs and upgrades for a living.– JayCommented Nov 10, 2011 at 17:27
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5@Jay Not necessarily. From that same article, "The term handyman increasingly describes a paid worker, but it also includes non-paid homeowners or do-it-yourselfers."– LarsTechCommented Nov 10, 2011 at 17:31
Jack of all trades, odd-job man might be synonyms of handyman.
answered Nov 10, 2011 at 18:45
Other more formal solutions:
- Maintenance worker *
- Maintenance man
- Repairman
- Service man
- Repairer *
Other potential creative solutions:
- Fixer-upper *
- Mr. Fix-it
- DIY expert *
- DIYer * (term presented by Izkata)
- Handy Andy
- Handy Mandy ** (term created by rachet freak)
Gender neutral terms are marked with an asterisk *
Gender female terms are marked with two asterisks **
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3I would be wary of calling someone a "fixer-upper" -- to me that means they have something wrong with themselves, since I usually hear, e.g., "that house is a fixer-upper".– JustinCommented Nov 11, 2011 at 12:45
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Ah, but that's all about how you use the sentence and the context surrounding it. If we are talking about insane asylums, yes, that would be a legitimate interpretation of the sentence. However, if I said, "This house has so much wrong with it, good thing Mandy is such a good fixer-upper", I think the meaning is clear. (+1 on Handy Mandy btw)– ChrisMCommented Nov 11, 2011 at 15:47
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Yes, "Mr. Fix-It" is a good one and, at least in my parts, its gender female counterpart, "Mrs. Fix-It"**, is sometimes heard. I look forward to the pleasing consonance of the gender neutral "Mx. Fix-It"*. ☺– hackerb9Commented Apr 27 at 19:05