[1] Originally, in the British Royal Navy, a dogsbody was a semi-sarcastic colloquialism for a junior officer or midshipman.
A rough American equivalent would be a package-handler, gofer, grunt,[2] lackey, or workhorse.
[3] The Royal Navy used dried peas boiled in a bag (pease pudding) as one of their staple foods in the early 19th century.
[2] The term became more common in non-naval usage c. 1930, referring to people who were stuck with rough work.
[2] The term "dogsbody" has not always been derogatory, with a number of people deliberately using it as their callsign or handle.