eierlegende Wollmilchsau

eierlegende Wollmilchsau (literally “egg-laying wool-milk-sow”), from earlier eierlegendes und milchgebendes Wollschwein (literally “egg-laying and milk-giving wool-swine”). The concept of a "Schwein, / das Merinowolle trägt / und dazu noch Eier legt", a "pig / that bears merino wool / and furthermore lays eggs, too" is mentioned in poetry as early as 1959.^[1]

• IPA^(key): /ˌaɪ̯ɐ.leːɡəndə ˈvɔl.mɪlç.zaʊ̯/, [ˌaɪ̯ɐ.leːɡn̩də ˈvɔl.mɪlç.zaʊ̯]

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eierlegende Wollmilchsau f (definite nominative die eierlegende Wollmilchsau, genitive eierlegender Wollmilchsau, definite genitive der eierlegenden Wollmilchsau, plural eierlegende Wollmilchsäue, definite plural die eierlegenden Wollmilchsäue)

1. (colloquial, often derogatory) an all-in-one device or person which has (or claims to have) only positive attributes and which can (or attempts to) do the work of several specialized tools
   • 2002, Dietmar Prudix, Oliver Prüfer, Die Eierlegende Wollmilchsau, page 7:

     Die eierlegende Wollmilchsau (der Bewerber, der alles kann und keine Schwächen hat) lebt - in den Köpfen von Job-Entscheidern und in den Köpfen von Arbeitsplatzsuchenden.

     The egg-laying wooly milk-pig (the applicant who can do everything and has no weaknesses) exists - in the heads of hiring managers and in the heads of those seeking jobs.

• English: Swiss Army knife; all-in-one; chief cook and bottle washer; thneed; jack of all trades, master of none; kitchen-sinky