John Q. Public: Difference between revisions
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{{redirect|Joe Public}} |
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[[image:Ssi_card.gif|right|frame|The name John Q. Public is used on a sample [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] card]] '''John Q. Public''' is a generic name in the [[United States]] to denote a hypothetical member of society deemed a "[[common man]]." He is presumed to have no strong political or social biases relevant to whatever topic is at hand, and to represent the randomly selected "man on the street." The equivalent terms are '''John Q. Citizen''' and '''John Q. Taxpayer'''. Female equivalents include '''Jane Q. Public''', or '''Jane Q. Citizen''', '''Jane Q. Taxpayer''', '''Jane Winecooler''', and '''Ann Yone''' (from "anyone"). Roughly equivalent are '''Joe Six-pack''', '''Joe Blow''', and '''Joe Schmoe''', implying a lower-class citizen (from the [[Yiddish]] ''schmo'': simpleton or possibly Hebrew ''sh'mo'': (what's)-his-name). Similar terms for the common family can be '''Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public''', '''Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Citizen''', or '''Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Taxpayer''' |
[[image:Ssi_card.gif|right|frame|The name John Q. Public is used on a sample [[Social Security (United States)|Social Security]] card]] '''John Q. Public''' is a generic name in the [[United States]] to denote a hypothetical member of society deemed a "[[common man]]." He is presumed to have no strong political or social biases relevant to whatever topic is at hand, and to represent the randomly selected "man on the street." The equivalent terms are '''John Q. Citizen''' and '''John Q. Taxpayer'''. Female equivalents include '''Jane Q. Public''', or '''Jane Q. Citizen''', '''Jane Q. Taxpayer''', '''Jane Winecooler''', and '''Ann Yone''' (from "anyone"). Roughly equivalent are '''Joe Six-pack''', '''Joe Blow''', and '''Joe Schmoe''', implying a lower-class citizen (from the [[Yiddish]] ''schmo'': simpleton or possibly Hebrew ''sh'mo'': (what's)-his-name). Similar terms for the common family can be '''Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public''', '''Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Citizen''', or '''Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Taxpayer''' |
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I Love carey's Sister!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YEAH! |
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The equivalent in the [[United Kingdom]] is '''Joe''' (or Jane) '''Public''', '''[[Bloggs|Joe Bloggs]]''', or '''[[Tommy Atkins]]'''. |
The equivalent in the [[United Kingdom]] is '''Joe''' (or Jane) '''Public''', '''[[Bloggs|Joe Bloggs]]''', or '''[[Tommy Atkins]]'''. |
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The historical and legal equivalent is [[The man on the Clapham omnibus]], although this is a generic description rather than a generic name. |
The historical and legal equivalent is [[The man on the Clapham omnibus]], although this is a generic description rather than a generic name. |
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Revision as of 04:53, 28 August 2006
John Q. Public is a generic name in the United States to denote a hypothetical member of society deemed a "common man." He is presumed to have no strong political or social biases relevant to whatever topic is at hand, and to represent the randomly selected "man on the street." The equivalent terms are John Q. Citizen and John Q. Taxpayer. Female equivalents include Jane Q. Public, or Jane Q. Citizen, Jane Q. Taxpayer, Jane Winecooler, and Ann Yone (from "anyone"). Roughly equivalent are Joe Six-pack, Joe Blow, and Joe Schmoe, implying a lower-class citizen (from the Yiddish schmo: simpleton or possibly Hebrew sh'mo: (what's)-his-name). Similar terms for the common family can be Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Public, Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Citizen, or Mr. & Mrs. John Q. Taxpayer
I Love carey's Sister!WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO YEAH!
The equivalent in the United Kingdom is Joe (or Jane) Public, Joe Bloggs, or Tommy Atkins. The historical and legal equivalent is The man on the Clapham omnibus, although this is a generic description rather than a generic name.
Another generic description is the blue-singlet-wearing Aussie (Australian)—the singlet being a kind of shirt known to Americans as a "tank top".
In Internet culture, the generic name of choice is J. Random ______, where the surname is used to refer to a job or role, as in J. Random Hacker. This formation is thought to be taken from the name of J. Presper Eckert, builder of one of the first digital computers.
See also
- John Doe
- Joe Bloggs (British variant)
- John Q (film)
- The Joe Schmo Show
- Kadigan