Joe Public

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Proper noun

Joe Public

1. (idiomatic) A hypothetical average or generic member of the public; the common man (or person, by extension).

   Quoting Joe Public proved a dangerous game in the 2008 US presidential elections after he was personified in Joe 'the' Plumber, an actual plumber without previous media exposure.

Synonyms

• Joe Average
• John Q. Public

Translations

a hypothetical average or generic member of the public

• Dutch: Jan Modaal m, Jan met de pet m
• Finnish: Pihtiputaan mummo (fi)
• French: Tartempion (fr)
• Italian: Pinco Pallino m
• Swedish: medelsvensson (sv)

See also

• J. Random User
• Joe Bloggs
• John Doe
• man on the Clapham omnibus
• Tom, Dick or Harry