Adogsbody,dog's body, or less commonlydog robber is someone who does menial or drudge work.[1] Originally, in the BritishRoyal Navy, a dogsbody was a semi-sarcastic colloquialism for ajunior officer or midshipman.[1] Abatman has a similar function.
A rough American equivalent would be a package-handler,gofer, grunt,[2] lackey, or workhorse.[3]
The Royal Navy used driedpeas boiled in a bag (pease pudding) as one of their staple foods in the early 19th century.Sailors nicknamed this item "dog's body". In the early 20th century, junior officers andmidshipmen who performed jobs that more senior officers did not want to do began to be called "dogsbodies".[2] The term became more common in non-naval usagec. 1930, referring to people who were stuck with rough work.[2]
The term "dogsbody" has not always been derogatory, with a number of people deliberately using it as their callsign or handle. The most famous of these is probablyDouglas Bader, who was anRAF fighter pilot during theSecond World War.[4]
