maid

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Related to MAIDS: domestic workers

maid of all work

A female servant or domestic worker who is responsible for all duties within a house. The phrase is often hyphenated. I spent eight years as a maid-of-all-work for a small household in upper Norfolk, so don't presume to question my work ethic. We're looking for a maid of all work to take care of the various jobs around the estate.
See also: all, maid, of, work

old maid

1. dated A disparaging term for an older, unmarried woman. She had a few suitors in her youth, but now Edna is an old maid. My parents are pressuring me to get married—they don't want any of their daughters to become an old maid.
2. A fussy, prudish person. You better make sure the place settings are perfect, what with the old maid coming to dinner tonight.
3. A card game in which players pair matching cards and try to avoid being the last one holding the only card with no mate, dubbed the "old maid." When my kids were little, they loved playing old maid.
See also: maid, old
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

an old ˈmaid

(old-fashioned, disapproving) a woman who has never married and is now no longer young
See also: an, maid, old
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

maid of all work

The female equivalent of Jack of all trades.
See also: all, maid, of, work
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
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References in classic literature ?
"That's not the way, that's not the way, Sonya!" cried Natasha turning her head and clutching with both hands at her hair which the maid who was dressing it had not time to release.
I can't do it like that," said the maid who was holding Natasha's hair.
"Oh, do you talk?" enquired the maid, evidently surprised.
On this the maids left off running away and began calling one another back.
There was great joy at their coming, and the prince flew to meet them, and lifted the maid from her horse, thinking she was the one who was to be his wife; and she was led upstairs to the royal chamber; but the true princess was told to stay in the court below.
Meanwhile the real Maid Marian discovers that the venison has been sent away to Mother Maudlin's.
After a short interval spent by Sophia, chiefly in crying, and assuring her maid that she was perfectly easy, Susan arrived with an account that the horses were ready, when a very extraordinary thought suggested itself to our young heroine, by which Mr Jones would be acquainted with her having been at the inn, in a way which, if any sparks of affection for her remained in him, would be at least some punishment for his faults.
Now the maid Zinita watched him till he was gone, and love of him entered into her heart--a love that was fierce and jealous and strong.
"Maid of honor to the young madame!" repeated Madame de Saint-Remy, still but half convinced.
The maid wept all night long, and said, 'I freed you in the wild wood out of the iron stove; I have sought you, and have crossed a glassy mountain, three sharp swords, and a great lake before I found you, and will you not hear me now?' The servants outside heard how she cried the whole night, and they told their master in the morning.
Would Madame, therefore, be good enough to follow Miladi's maid up the stairs?'
It's the story of a Mistress and a Maid. Come back to the fire and hear it."
Only when the lark shall mate with the nightingale, and the honey-bee and the clock-beetle keep house together, shall I wed another maid. Fair maybe she will not be, though fair to me.
Now, the only two servants (excepting Rosanna herself) who had remained under examination for any length of time, were my lady's own maid and the first housemaid, those two being also the women who had taken the lead in persecuting their unfortunate fellow-servant from the first.
Tree Miss Hester Worsley, Miss Julia Neilson Alice, Maid, Miss Kelly Mrs.