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."
Read more about John Q. Public: Variations, Usage, History, Other English-speaking Countries, Variants in Other Countries
Famous quotes containing the words john and/or public:
“After I was married a year I remembered things like radio stations and forgot my husband.”
—P. J. Wolfson, John L. Balderston (1899–1954)
“The twelve Cells for Incorrigibles ... are also carved out of the solid rock hill. On the walls of one of the cells human “liberty” is clearly inscribed, with the “liberty” in significant quotation marks.”
—Administration in the State of Ariz, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)