sorcerer's apprentice

English

Etymology

Calque of French apprenti-sorcier, itself a calque of German Zauberlehrling.

Noun

sorcerer's apprentice (plural sorcerer's apprentices)

1. (derogatory) Person who experiments carelessly, without paying attention to the possible consequences of their experiments and without the ability to contain them should they spiral out of control.

Translations

Translations

• Dutch: tovenaarsleerling (nl) m
• Finnish: tulella leikkijä, noidan oppipoika
• French: apprenti-sorcier (fr) m
• German: Zauberlehrling m
• Polish: uczeń czarnoksiężnika m, uczennica czarnoksiężnika f

See also

• mad scientist
• play God