John Q. Public
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John Q. Public (and several similar names; see the Variations section below) is a generic name in the United States to denote a hypothetical member of society deemed a "common man." He is presumed to represent the randomly selected "man on the street."
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[edit] Variations
Similar terms include John Q. Citizen and John Q. Taxpayer, or Jane Q. Public, Jane Q. Citizen, and Jane Q. Taxpayer for a woman. The name John Doe is used in a similar manner. For multiple people, Tom, Dick and Harry is often used.
Roughly equivalent are the names Joe Six-pack, Joe Blow, and Joe Shmoe, the last of which implies a lower-class citizen (from the Yiddish schmo: simpleton, or possibly Hebrew sh'mo: (what's)-his-name).
[edit] Usage
In the United States, the term John Q. Public is used by law enforcement officers to refer to an individual with no criminal bent, as opposed to terms like perp (short for perpetrator) or skell to qualify unsavory individuals.[citation needed]
2008 Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin famously referred to "Joe Sixpack and Hockey moms" during a debate. Presidential Candidate John McCain referenced a similar symbol, this time represented by an actual person, saying that Senator Obama's tax plan would hurt Joe the Plumber's bottom line. A fifteen-minute debate on this issue ensued, with both candidates speaking directly to "Joe".[1]
When John Q. Public is used in conjunction with an example credit card number, the number 1234 5678 9100 0000 is often used.[citation needed]
[edit] History
The term "John Q. Public" was the name of a character created by Vaughn Shoemaker, an editorial cartoonist for the Chicago Daily News, in 1922.[2] Jim Lange, the editorial cartoonist for The Oklahoman for 58 years, was closely identified with a version of the John Q. Public character,[3] whom he sometimes also called "Mr. Voter". Lange's version of the character was described as "bespectacled, mustachioed, fedora-wearing".[4] In 2006 the Oklahoma State Senate voted to make this character the "state's official editorial cartoon."[5]
[edit] Other English-speaking countries
The equivalent in the United Kingdom is Joe (or Jane) Public, John Smith, or Fred Bloggs or Joe Bloggs. Also the man in the street, the man on the Clapham omnibus, "Tom, Dick and Harry." Tommy or Tommy Atkins is the generic soldier's name there.
In Australia, John (or Jane) Citizen is usually seen as a placeholder in credit card advertisements, while Joe (or Jane) Bloggs is commonly used in speech. Joe Blow is also used, often to suggest a possibly undesirable person. For example: "You left the door open so any Joe Blow could have walked in." Also used: Fred Nurk, Joe Farnarkle.
In Ireland Joe Soap is used as a generic reference to a male. Also Seán and Síle Citizen; Irish: Seán Ó Rudaí, from rud = thing(s).
In Canada, during the 1960s, a person appeared in editorial cartoons called Uno Who, representing an average, downtrodden citizen. He was always shown wearing a Bankruptcy Barrel. Jos Bleau (Joe Blow, in French) and G. Raymond are also used in Canada.
[edit] Variants in other countries
| Albania | Filan Fisteku |
| Argentina | Juan Pérez, Fulano (de Tal) (likely from Arabic Fulan), Mengano, Menganito, Zultano or Sutano, Perengano, N.N. |
| Austria | Hans Meier, Hans Maier, Hans Mayer, Herr und Frau Österreicher (Mr and Mrs Austrian), Max und Martha Mustermann, Otto Normalverbraucher, the Jeti-Tant' from Apetlon |
| Barbados | John Brown, |
| Basque Country | Iñaki, Patxi |
| Belgium | Jan Janssen, Piet Pietersen, Jos Joskens, Jan Modaal, Jef Klak |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Marko Marković, Petar Petrović, Sima Simić |
| Brasil | Fulano (de Tal), Sicrano, Beltrano, João da Silva, Zé da Silva, Zé Ninguém |
| Bulgaria | Иван Иванов (Ivan Ivanov), лицето Х (Person X) |
| Chile | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Perico de los Palotes, Sra. Juanita, N.N. (Ningún Nombre, i.e., No Name, a nobody). |
| China | 陈小名[citation needed] (pinyin: Chén Xiǎomíng), 某某(人) (pinyin: Mǒumǒu (Rén), translated Somebody, sometimes used with a person's name), 老百姓 (pinyin: lǎobǎixìng, literally old hundred surnames, idiom for "common people/person") |
| Colombia | Fulano de Tal, Pepito Pérez |
| Costa Rica | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Sutano, Mengano, Perencejo |
| Croatia | Ivan Horvat, Pero Perić |
| Cuba | Fulano, Mengano, Ciclano, Esperancejo (female versions: Fulana, Mengana, Ciclana, Esperanceja.) Optional family name: de Tal ("of something or other") |
| Czech Republic | Jan Novák, Karel Vomáčka, Tomáš Martiník, Jan Skočdopole, Josef Lazar |
| Denmark | Hr. og fru Jensen (Mr and Mrs Jensen), Morten Menigmand (Morten Simpleman) |
| Ecuador | Juan Perez, Fulano, Sultano, Mengano, Juan Piguabe |
| Egypt | Folan (Arabic: فلان) (female: Folana, فلانة); Elan (علان), as partner. |
| Estonia | Jaan Tamm (male), Tädi Maali (old woman, literally "Aunt Example") |
| Faroe Islands | Miðalhampamaður |
| Finland | Matti Meikäläinen (male, literally "our Matti"), Maija Meikäläinen (female, literally "our Maija") |
| France | Jean Dupont, Monsieur Durand, Monsieur Tout-le-monde |
| Germany | Hinz und Kunz, Otto Normalverbraucher & Lieschen Müller, Max Mustermann |
| Greece | Γιῶργος Τάδε (Giorgos Tade, male), Μαρία Τάδε (Maria Tade, female), Τάδε Ταδόπουλος (Tade Tadopoulos, male), Τάδε Ταδοπούλου (Tade Tadopulou, female), ὁ/ἡ Δείνα (his partner), Ἕνας Κάποιος (Enas Kapoios - somebody), Α. Β. Κάτοχος (A.B. Katohos, used on sample credit cards), Άγνωστος Χ (Unknown X). |
| Guatemala | Juan Pérez, Fulano, Sutano (or Zutano), Mengano, Perencejo |
| Hong Kong and Macao | Chinese: 陳大文; pinyin: Chén Dàwén (for males), Chinese: 陳小明; pinyin: Chén Xiǎomíng (for boys) |
| Hungary | Gipsz Jakab, Kovács János, Jóska Pista |
| India | Aam Aadmi |
| Indonesia | Si Polan |
| Iran | Folani (فُلانی), Felani (فلانی), Yaroo (يارو) |
| Iceland | Meðal-Jón, Meðal-Jóna, Jón Jónsson, Jóna Jónsdóttir |
| Israel | Israel Israeli (ישראל ישראלי) |
| Italy | Mario Rossi, Tizio, Caio, Sempronio, Casalinga di Voghera (Voghera Housewife) |
| Japan | 山田 太郎 (Yamada Tarō), 山田 花子 (Yamada Hanako), 名無しの権兵衛 (Nanashi no Gombei), 何野 某 (Nanno Nanigashi) |
| Kenya | Wanjiku (female) |
| Korea | 홍길동 (Hong Gil-dong) |
| Latvia | Jānis Bērziņš |
| Lebanon | Majhoul (Arabic: مجهول), Folan (Arabic: فلان) (female: Folana, Arabic: فلانة), Elan (Arabic: علان) as partner. |
| Lithuania | Vardenis Pavardenis, Jonas Jonaitis, Petras Petraitis |
| Macedonia | Петар Петровски (Petar Petrovski) |
| Malaysia | Si Anu, Si Polan, Si Polan Bin Si Polan |
| Malta | Joe Borg |
| Mauritius | Sa Nation la, Sa boug la (males); Safame la, Sapitin la (females) |
| Mexico | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Mangano, Perengano, Zutano |
| Nepal | Ram, Shyam, Hari and other colloquial names such as Chamar, Ram Kumar Deshar, Sigdel, and Jyapu |
| Netherlands | Jan Modaal, Harry Holland, Fam. Doorsnee |
| New Zealand | Joe Bloggs, John Doe, Bob Smith |
| Nigeria | Nnaa, Okoro, Abokina |
| Norway | Ola og Kari Nordmann (literally Ola and Kari(n) Norwegian“) |
| Pakistan | Falana (male), Falani (female). Derived from the Persian equivalents. |
| Panama | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Sultano, Mengano |
| Paraguay | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Sultano, Mengano, N.N. |
| Peru | Juan Pérez, Fulano de Tal, Zutano, Mengano |
| Philippines | Juan dela Cruz |
| Poland | Jan Kowalski, Jan Nowak |
| Portugal | Manuel dos Santos, Zé Ninguém, o Outro (the other one), Fulano de tal, Zé Povinho |
| Puerto Rico | Fulano de Tal, Juan Perez, or Juan del Pueblo |
| Romania | Escu, Gheorghe, Necunoscut, Xulescu, Cutare Cutărică |
| Russia | Иванов (Ivanov), Петров (Petrov), Сидоров (Sidorov), Вася Пупкин (Vasya Pupkin), Маша Пупкина (Masha Pupkina), Петя Иванов (Petya Ivanov) |
| Serbia, Montenegro | Petar Petrović, Pera Perić, Marko Marković, Janko Janković |
| Singapore | Tan Ah Kao and Tan Ah Beng |
| Slovakia | Jožko Mrkvička |
| Slovenia | Janez Novak, Janez Pouprečnik |
| South Africa | Koos van der Merwe, Piet Pompies |
| Spain | male: Fulano (de Tal), Fulanito (de Tal), Pepe Pérez, Mengano, Menganito, Perico de los Palotes, Menganito de Cual, Zutano, Zutanito, Sultano, Sultanito, Don Nadie, Juan Nadie, Perengano. Female: Fulanita (de Tal), Mengana, Menganita (de Tal) |
| Sweden | Kalle Svensson, Medelsvensson, Svensson, Svenne, Svenne Banan, Erik Johansson, Mannen på gatan ("the man on the street"), Gemene mann ("average man"), Nisse i Hökarängen |
| Switzerland | Herr und Frau Schweizer (Mr and Mrs Swiss), Hans Meier, Hans Mustermann, Max Muster |
| Taiwan | 張三 (Chang number three); 李四 (Lee number four); 王五 (Wang number five) |
| Thailand | Somchai, Sommai, Nai-Gor |
| Turkey | Sade Vatandaş; Ahmet/Mehmet, Ali/Veli, Hasan/Hüseyin (male); Ayşe/Fatma (female); Falan (kişi) / Filan (kişi, "somebody"; also female: Filane); Sari Cizmeli Mehmet Aga |
| Uruguay | Fulano, Mengano; Juan Perez |
| Venezuela | Fulano, Fulano de Tal, Sutano, Mengano, Perencejo, Pedro Perez, Juan de los Palotes, Juan Bimba |
| Vietnam | Nguoi La, Người dấu tên |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "McCain, Obama go head to head in last debate - CNN.com". CNN. October 15, 2008. http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/10/15/debate.transcript/index.html. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ "Vaughn Shoemaker; Created John Q. Public". The New York Times. August 22, 1991. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0CE4D6143AF931A1575BC0A967958260. Retrieved May 7, 2010.
- ^ Longtime cartoonist Jim Lange dies, The Oklahoman, April 18, 2009.
- ^ Goodbye, Jim: Our hats are off for 58-year cartoonist, The Oklahoman, April 19, 2009.
- ^ Mr. Voter Tapped by Senate as State’s Official Editorial Cartoon, Oklahoma State Senate News, March 9, 2006 (retrieved May 25, 2009).
