Dogsbody

A lowly person, drudge or skivvy, someone who gets all the menial tasks; the origin is nautical from the early 19th century when dog’s body was Royal Navy slang for pease pudding that was cooked in a large bag or sack. The bag or sack may have resembled a dog’s body but this etymological link is not proven. In time, the term was applied to low-ranking seamen, especially midshipmen, who would typically be given menial tasks aboard ship. It had entered Standard English in its current meaning by the late 19th/early 20th century. It was the call sign adopted by fighter pilot Douglas Bader during the Battle of Britain, presumably from his initials DB.