John Henry

English

Etymology

Believed to be a Western United States cowboy variation (dating from the late 1700s or early 1800s) of John Hancock, the first person to sign the United States Declaration of Independence and whose name later became a synonym for a signature. This usage predates the American folklore hero John Henry from the 1870s.

Pronunciation

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Noun

John Henry (plural John Henrys)

1. (idiomatic) One's signature.
   • 1986, L. Ron Hubbard, Villainy Victorious: Mission Earth:

     They stepped forward. Bury held a pen at them. “So if you fellows will just put your John Henrys on this document, it's all legal.” The two privates signed it.

See also

• John Hancock