jobber

Noun

jobber (plural jobbers)

1. (archaic) One who works by the job (i.e. paid per individual piece of work) and/or recruits other people for such work.
   • The deponent, in the course of negotiation for sundry jobs, expressed his curiosity repecting the Habits and Life of the Knights of the Thimble, when the jobber to the Nobility and Gentry kindly volunteered to accompny him on a round to some of the great shops of the west.1866 November, “A Visit to the Tailors of the West”, in The Suburban magazine, volume 1, page 99
   • Every person who shall keep any boat for the purpose aforesaid without having such license, and every owner of, or other person who shall be employed or shall ply for hire in any such boat within the limits aforesaid without having such license or wearing such badge as aforesaid, and every person...1875, The Laws of Grenada and the Grenadines, 1766-1875, page 109
2. An actor temporarily employed for a specific role, often in a touring company.
   • Most of the music circuses use jobbers in four to eight of the leading roles for each show. These jobbers are principal actors who are employed for one or two leading roles during the season. There is no difference between a star and a jobber, except that a jobber is not necessarily a "big-name"...1957, Lorna Marie Wildon, A survey of contemporary American musical arena theatres, and an analysis of problems of organization and production
   • Jobbers are used as needed.1986, J. Allen, The 1986 Summer Theater Guide, page 83
3. (UK, obsolete) A promoter or broker of stocks for investment.
   • An act to restrain the number and ill practice of brokers and stock jobbers: 8 & 9 Wm. 3, ch. 32 (1697) [legislation of English parliament]
4. An intermediary who buys and sells merchandise.
   • We will say "I would rather be an expressman hauling tobacco, cigarettes, et cetera, than be a jobber of such commodities," especially in the city of Boston at the present writing.1916 June 14, “25,000 Cigarettes at $1.50 Gross Profit, the Result of Boston Price Cuts: Jobbers Work On Starvation Basis, Despite Increased Cost of Doing Business”, in United States Tobacco Journal...
   • In considering the reasons for the manufacturer's growing independence of the jobber we must class them under two heads; first the reasons that might apply to the old-fashioned jobber who has not varied his activities from the historic model, and, second, the reasons that apply only to the jobber...1916, Herbert Francis De Bower, John George Jones, Marketing Methods and Salesmanship, page 123

   Synonyms:

   middleman, broker

   1. (US) A type of intermediary in the apparel industry, as well as others, who buys excess merchandise from brand owners and manufacturers, and sells to retailers at prices that are 20-70% below wholesale.
   2. (UK) A market maker on the stock exchange; a stockjobber.
5. (slang) A performer whose primary role is to lose to established talent.
   • My argument has ALWAYS been that 99.9% of all wrestlers are jobbers (and I'm 100% correct).1998 December 30, Don Martin, “Get over it, Jericho would be nothing but a jobber in the WWF:”, in rec.sport.pro-wrestling (Usenet)
   • I agree, Superstars got a bit dull with the jobber matches at times but it furthered storylines so they didn't have to give away PPV matches on a regular TV show...2001 February 9, GraDee, “Reminiscing the jobber matches era from "WWF Superstars"”, in alt.pro-wrestling.nostalgia (Usenet)

   Synonyms:

   jabroni

6. (slang) A thing (often used in a vague way to refer to something the name of which one cannot recall).

   Synonyms:

   Sorted by number of Google hits, widget, hickey, gizmo, thingy, gimmick, thingie, jigger, gismo, gubbins

7. A job press or platen press.