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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?

Heartspring
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Manoochehr
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4 Answers4

49

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]

Gnawme
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    But seldom applied to women, I think. 'A handy woman' suggests something altogether different. – Barrie England Nov 10 '11 at 17:23
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    @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... – Gnawme Nov 10 '11 at 17:29
  • Hmm, you mean "handy woman" has some sort of unsavory meaning? I've never heard that. Maybe my sheltered life has again saved me from confronting unpleasantness! I just did a google search on "handy woman" and the results all seemed to be women doing handyman work, and cleaning and housekeeping services, which I guess some take as the female equivalent of being a handyman. – Jay Nov 10 '11 at 17:31
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    @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." – Jay Nov 10 '11 at 17:33
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    The "handy" in "handy woman" to me suggests "nearby" :) – JeffSahol Nov 10 '11 at 17:37
  • @Jay - in BE a "handy women" would mean one that was conveniently present just when you really needed a women - like a "handy ladder" or a "handy cup of tea". Even "handyman" has a bit of a snigger factor – mgb Nov 10 '11 at 17:37
  • @Jay: OP: "Is there any words to explain these kind of men?" Answer: Yes, they are handy. – Gnawme Nov 10 '11 at 17:38
  • @MartinBeckett: Interesting, I didn't know that. Another expression to avoid in the UK. (Like walking into a pub and announcing, "Oh, I'm stuffed" thinking that you're stating that you overate...) – Gnawme Nov 10 '11 at 17:41
  • @Gnawme - "stuffed" means full of food in northern England. Just don't ask if you have to go outside to "suck on a fag" ;-) – mgb Nov 10 '11 at 17:54
  • I didn't mean that 'handy woman' was necessarily widely understood in BrEng to mean anything suggestive, but Martin expresses my meaning well. – Barrie England Nov 10 '11 at 18:37
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    "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. – LarsH Nov 10 '11 at 22:27
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    It doesn't have anything to do with being a woman; it depends on whether the adjective is before the noun or not. A "handy person" or "handy woman" is somebody who is nearby. A "person who is handy" or "woman who is handy" is somebody who can fix things. – Peter Shor Nov 11 '11 at 15:55
29

The person is called a "handyman".

A handyman is a person skilled at a wide range of repairs, typically around the home.

From Wikipedia

LarsTech
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    Well, 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. – Jay Nov 10 '11 at 17:27
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    @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." – LarsTech Nov 10 '11 at 17:31
8

Jack of all trades, odd-job man might be synonyms of handyman.

Hugo
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Terry Li
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8

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 **

ChrisM
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    Handy Mandy for the females ;) – ratchet freak Nov 11 '11 at 01:26
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    I 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". – Justin Nov 11 '11 at 12:45
  • 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) – ChrisM Nov 11 '11 at 15:47
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    +1, I also see "DIYer" in those circles online on occasion – Izkata Nov 11 '11 at 18:56