assistant

Dictionary: as·sis·tant (ə-sĭs'tənt) pronunciation

n.
One that assists; a helper.

adj.

Holding an auxiliary position; subordinate.
Giving aid; auxiliary.

SYNONYMS assistant, aide, coadjutant, coadjutor, helper, lieutenant, second. These nouns denote a person who holds a position auxiliary to another and assumes some of his or her responsibilities: an editorial assistant; a senator's aide; the general's coadjutant; a bishop's coadjutor; a teacher's helper; a politician's lieutenant; a prizefighter's second.

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Thesaurus: assistant

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noun

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Dental Dictionary: assistant

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An agent or employee.

US History Encyclopedia: Assistant

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According to the charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company (1629), the company would be managed by a general court comprised of an elected governor and eighteen elected assistants, later known as magistrates. But the smaller Court of Assistants (six assistants and the governor) was permitted to take care of routine business. Responding to protests about his attempts to consolidate power in the Court of Assistants, Governor John Winthrop agreed to let every town send two deputies to the general court. The deputies eventually broke off and became the lower house (1644). Connecticut's Fundamental Orders (1639) provided for a governor and six assistants, plus four deputies from each town.

Bibliography

Middleton, Richard. Colonial America: A History, 1585–1776. Malden, Mass.: Blackwell, 1996.

—Jeremy Derfner

Veterinary Dictionary: assistant

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One who aids or helps another; an auxiliary; e.g. nursing assistant, technical assistant, laboratory assistant.

Word Tutor: assistant

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IN BRIEF: One who helps or aids another.

Ms. Harris needed a good assistant to help with her projects.

Wikipedia: Assistant

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For other uses, see Assistant (disambiguation).

"Yes Man" redirects here. For Jim Carrey comedy film, see Yes Man (film). For the Kappa Mikey character, see Yes Man (Kappa Mikey).

Yes Man

This section may stray from the topic of the article. Please help improve this section or discuss this issue on the talk page.

The term yes man is typically used for an employee who agrees with every statement of his or her employer.^[1] Some synonyms of yes man are flunky, stooge, butt-boy, suck-up, kiss-ass, and sycophant; all of which have pejorative connotations.^[2] Such a person may also be referred to as a lapdog.^[3]

Right Hand Man

Unlike yes man, the term right hand man (also referred to as the "second in command") has positive connotations. Some^[who?] assert that the term is based on the fact that most people are right-handed. Understood this way, the term refers to one who has the responsibility, knowledge and understanding, authority and ability to implement a plan articulated by one in a position of authority.

The term right hand man may also be based on the idea of a king having his adviser sit at his right side. Understood this way, the term refers to one who informs and advises a person in a position of authority, instead of one who implements the plans of authority.

In Ancient Greece, soldiers typically fought in a formation called a phalanx, where co-operation between soldiers was vital. Each soldier carried his shield on his left side, while his right side was protected by the man standing to his right. Understood this way, the term refers to one who is indisposable; a protector. Alternatively, the most experienced soldiers were often placed at the weak spot on the right hand side of a phalanx, where the outermost soldiers were unprotected by an overlapping shield. Over time the right hand side of Ancient Greek armies became a place of honour, where the best troops were stationed to prevent the exposure of this weak point. This could have also lead to the term right hand man.

A biblical explanation also exists; in the Authorized King James Version of the Bible, Jesus is said to be "at the right hand of the Father (God). see Mark 16:19. Luke 22:69. Acts 2:33. Acts 5:31. Acts 7:55. Acts 7:56. This reference, in light of the whole of the biblical narrative, casts Jesus as either or both an implementor of a plan and/or one who is indisposable.

References

^ Merriam Webster online dictionary
^ Memidex/WordNet and slang usage documented in the Urban Dictionary.
^ Example of usage: Lapdog Loyalty: A “Yes-Man” Takes One For The President

		Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Thesaurus. Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary Copyright © 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more
		Dental Dictionary. Mosby's Dental Dictionary. Copyright © 2004 by Elsevier, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more
		US History Encyclopedia. © 2006 through a partnership of Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more
		Veterinary Dictionary. Saunders Comprehensive Veterinary Dictionary 3rd Edition. Copyright © 2007 by D.C. Blood, V.P. Studdert and C.C. Gay, Elsevier. All rights reserved. Read more
		Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved. eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial. Read more
		Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Assistant". Read more
		Misspellings. © 1999-2009 by Answers Corporation. All rights reserved. Read more
		Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more

assistant

Contents

Yes Man

Right Hand Man

References

See also

	Assemblies, Colonial
	asst. (abbreviation)
	TA (abbreviation)