Definitions
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun A
product ormanufactured article , especially an item ofart orcraft . - noun idiomatic, often derogatory A person who has a
strong andunusual personality , especially one withseriously unpleasant character flaws (e.g. a nasty piece of work).
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun a product produced or accomplished through the effort or activity or agency of a person or thing
Etymologies
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Examples
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inkish commented on the word piece of work
difficult person to deal with
November 24, 2009
yarb commented on the word piece of work
More like a devious or malicious person, no?
November 25, 2009
rolig commented on the word piece of work
I expect today's colloquial expression, as in: "That Madge, she's a real piece of work!" comes from the sense of someone who is complex or complicated, not easy to figure out. This is an ironic twist on a phrase whose origin is almost certainly Shakespeare (Hamlet, II, ii): "What a piece of work is man! how noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form and moving, how express and admirable! in action, how like an angel! in apprehension, how like a god! the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals!"
November 25, 2009
uselessness commented on the word piece of work
That's funny, this phrase always seems to make sense when used in context. On its own, though, I'm not really sure what it's supposed to mean. It's on par with saying "that's really something" with a sly tone and a knowing look. As if such a phrase has any literal meaning at all.
November 25, 2009
Jubjub commented on the word piece of work
Good point, rolig. "Piece" in that sense, then, doesn't mean "part" but is more like "piece" in "piece of art." An example, a paragon? So something like "what an example of workmanship?"
Uselessness-- then there's something else. Else than what?
November 25, 2009