[ad. med.L. factōtum (f. fac, imper. of facĕre to do + tōtum the whole) in phrases Johannes Factotum, Dominus Factotum, Magister factotum, which appear to be renderings in etymological equivalents of Romanic expressions = ‘John Do-everything,’ ‘Mr. Do-Everything’; cf. It. fa il tutto, fattutto of similar formation. These phrases are found in 16th c. in Eng., and Frère Jean Factotum (Paré a. 1590), Dominus Factotum also in Fr.; their source has not yet been discovered. The word factotum without the prefixed words is used in German (as neuter sb.) from 16th c. (Grimm cites Fischart, 1579), and in Fr. and It. from 17th c.]
1. † a. In L. phrases: Dominus factotum, used for ‘one who controls everything,’ a ruler with uncontrolled power; Johannes factotum, a Jack of all trades, a would-be universal genius. † b. One who meddles with everything, a busybody. c. In mod. sense: A man of all-work; also, a servant who has the entire management of his master’s affairs.
1566. Gascoigne, Supposes, III. iv. (1572), 31. He had the disbursing … of al my masters affaires … he was Magister fac totum. [Ariosto, 1525: era fa il tutto.]
1584. R. Parsons, Leicester’s Commw., 65. Throughout all England my L. of Leycester is taken for Dominus fac totum.
1592. Greene, Groat’s W. Wit, E iv. Being an absolute Johannes fac totum [he] is in his owne conceit the onely Shake-scene in a Countrey.
1618. S. Ward, Serm. Exod. xviii. 21–22, 65. Is there no mean between busibodies and tell-clockes, between fac-totum and fay’t neant?
1630. B. Jonson, New Inn, II. ii. Tip. Art thou the dominus? Host. Fac-totum here, sir.
1662. Foulis, Plots of Saints (1674), 278. Robert Passellew … was dominus fac totum in the middle—and fac nihil towards the end—of the reign of Henry III.
1782. Cowper, Letter, 18 March. The garden where I am my own fac-totum.
1824. Miss Mittord, Village, 1st Ser. (1863), 9. The pensioner and factotum of the village, amongst whom he divides his services.
1863. Miss Braddon, Eleanor’s Vict., III. ii. 25. A butler, or factotum,—for there was only one male servant in the house, and he was old and unpleasant.
attrib. 1859. G. Meredith. R. Feverel, xi. She languished to her maid, and melted the small factotum footman.
† 2. Printing: see quots. Obs.
1681. Blount, Glossogr., 255. Fac-totum signifies among Printers, a Border in the middle of which any Letter of the Alphabet may be put in for use, and then taken out.
1721–1800. in Bailey.
1823. Crabb, Technol. Dict., Fac-totum (Print.) a border within which printers inclose an initial letter.
Hence Factotumship, the office of a factotum.
1660. S. Fisher, Rusticks Alarm, Wks. (1679), 345. During the long time of their Dominus fac-totum-ship, in whole Christendom.
1849. Niles’ National Register, 18 April, 12/1. He added to them a general factotum-ship in every other department of the government.
