John Q. Public
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."
Contents
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. The term Tom, Dick and Harry is often used to denote multiple hypothetical persons.
Roughly equivalent are the names Joe Blow, Joe Six-pack, the nowadays less popular Joe Doakes 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).
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]
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]
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, and the aforementioned Tom, Dick and Harry. Tommy or Tommy Atkins is used as a generic soldier's name.
In Australia, John (or Jane) Citizen is usually seen as a placeholder in credit card advertisements, while Joe (or Jane) Bloggs is also 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.[citation needed]
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[6] (as did Will Johnstone's earlier and similar character, "the Taxpayer", for the American New York World Telegram).[7] French-Canadians also use Monsieur-Madame-Tout-le-Monde ("Mr-and-Ms-Everybody") or Monsieur Untel ("Mr-So-and-so"). Jos Bleau (Joe Blow, in French) and G. Raymond are also used in Canada (George Raymond is a real person at VISA in Montréal, where the abbreviated name appears on example cards).[citation needed] Occasionally, names which are invariant when translated between English and French are favoured in advertising material (such as "Nicole Martin" or "Carole Martin" on packets of retail coupons).
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 met de Pet, Jan Janssen, Piet Pietersen, Jos Joskens, Jan Modaal, Jef Klak |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Marko Marković, Petar Petrović, Sima Simić |
| Brazil | 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), Hr. og Fru Danmark, Morten Menigmand (Morten Simpleman), Hr. Sørensen (older usage,[8]), manden på/fra gaden (the man on/from the street).[9] |
| 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 (female) |
| Faroe Islands | Miðalhampamaður |
| Finland | Matti Meikäläinen (male, literally "our Matti"), Maija Meikäläinen (female, literally "our Maija") |
| France | Jean Dupont, Monsieur Durand, Monsieur/Madame Tout-le-monde, Monsieur/Madame Untel, Madame Michu, Tartempion. |
| 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; Jyutping: caan4 daai6 man4 (for males) |
| Hungary | Gipsz Jakab, Kovács János, Jóska Pista |
| India | Hindi/Urdu: आम आदमी, عام آدمی (Aam Aadmi, literally "common man"); Tamil: Kuppan Suppan |
| Indonesia | Si Polan |
| Iran | Folani (فُلانی), Felani (فلانی), Yaroo (يارو) |
| Iceland | Meðal-Jón, Meðal-Jóna, Jón Jónsson, Jóna Jónsdóttir |
| Ireland | Joe Soap |
| Israel | Israel Israeli (ישראל ישראלי) |
| Italy | Mario Rossi, Tizio, Caio, Sempronio, Pinco Pallino, Casalinga di Voghera (Voghera Housewife) |
| Jamaica | John Brown, John Doe, Jane Doe |
| 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), 철수 (Cheol-Su), 영희 (Young-Hee) for women, 갑을병정 (Gap, Eul, Byung, Jung)for multiple people |
| 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, Cikku l-poplu |
| Mauritius | Mam, Misye Untel, Madam Untel |
| 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, Jan met de pet, Harry Holland, Fam. Doorsnee, Henk en Ingrid |
| New Zealand | Joe Bloggs, John Doe, Bob Smith |
| Nigeria | Nnaa, Okoro, Abokina |
| Norway | Ola og Kari Nordmann (Ola and Kari Norwegian), Den hvite skattebetaler (The white taxpayer) |
| 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, Sicrano, Fulano de tal, Zé Povinho, Zé da Esquina |
| 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, Erik Johansson, Mannen på gatan ("the man on the street"), Gemene man ("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, (common names of either gender) Nai-Gor (นาย ก equivalent to Mr. A) |
| 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 |
See also
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 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).
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ ODS, 'Sørensen' (1), ODS accessed Oct. 20, 2012
- ↑ ODS, 'manden'
fr:Homme de la rue lt:Vardenis Pavardenis ja:名無しの権兵衛 pl:Jan Kowalski fi:Matti Meikäläinen sv:Medelsvensson
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