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Joe

Joe

10 2.5
A regular man who stands for the average person
  • noun
  • /dʒoʊ/
  • Informal
translation icon : hombre corriente
  • Our Army and National Guard, as well as our police forces, are made up of regular, everyday *Joes* and *Janes*, folks just like you and me.
  • a sloppy joe
  • average joes
  • ordinary joes

So you come in as a regular Joe on your passport.

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Examples

  • This might be hard to believe, but I'm just a regular joe.

  • Why do they want the working class Joes in Great Britain to pay for it?

  • So it's not just any, you know, Joe Blow on the street.

  • Yeah, but like, dude, does like the average Joe do something like that?

  • I am predicting that the average Joe is going to like breakfast burritos.

  • They're just regular Joes like me.

  • They were average joes, all of them.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • Many unsung, unknown 'ordinary Joes' are doing what they can.

    Blog text (34)
  • He's just an average Joe trying to make ends meet.

  • The movie tells the story of a regular Joe who becomes a hero.

Synonyms

common man
vsJoe
30 2.0

An ordinary man without a title, rank, or special rights

is gender neutral and not tied to social rank
everyman
vsJoe
  • Literature
16 5.4

An ordinary person who most people can identify with

is a more casual name, not an archetypal, widely relatable figure
average guy
vsJoe
  • Informal
15 1.8

A regular man with no special skills or fame

is a general label for any regular person, not only men
10 2.7

An ordinary person who is not an expert

is a personal name form rather than a general descriptive phrase
man in the street
vsJoe
  • Literature
5 3.4

A regular person who shows the views of most people

is a compact personal label rather than a descriptive phrase
Joe Blow
vsJoe
  • Informal
2 4.8

A person who is like most everyday people

is more neutral and less slangy in tone
Joe Public
vsJoe
  • Literature
1 6.3

A typical person who represents what most people think

is used more as a casual personal name than a public label
1 1.4

A person who has no title and is an ordinary member of society

focuses on ordinariness without mentioning social rank or titles
Joe Average
vsJoe
  • Informal
1 5.2

A typical person with no special skills or fame

is more commonly used as a casual personal label
Joe Citizen
vsJoe
1 4.1

An ordinary member of the public

is a simpler personal label not focused on civic status
1 6.1

An ordinary person who represents the public

is a personal label rather than a broadly representative phrase
Joe Bloggs
vsJoe
  • UK
4.6

A name for an ordinary man like a neighbour or friend

is a neutral term not tied to a regional variety
Joe Schmoe
vsJoe
  • Slang
7.9

A name people use for an ordinary, typical man

is a neutral term without strong informal tone
John Citizen
vsJoe
  • Australian
6.3

An average person used as a name to represent most people in Australia

is not regionally marked and fits general English usage

Compounds

6 3.0

A sandwich with ground beef cooked in a spicy tomato sauce on a bun

Joe Blow
  • Informal
2 4.8

A person who is like most everyday people

Joe Public
  • Literature
1 6.3

A typical person who represents what most people think

Holy Joe
  • Offensive
1 9.9

A military religious leader who soldiers call as a joke or insult

Joe Average
  • Informal
1 5.2

A typical person with no special skills or fame

1 4.1

An ordinary member of the public

joe job
  • Slang
1 9.9

A low-paid unskilled job that feels boring or useless

Sleepy Joe
  • Offensive
1 9.5

A nickname used to mock the US politician Joe Biden as slow or not alert

Little Joe
  • Slang
9.9

A slang name for the number four in dice games like craps

mumbly Joe
  • Informal
9.9

A person who speaks quietly and unclearly so others cannot understand

4.6

A name for an ordinary man like a neighbour or friend

9.9

A tall North American plant with pink or purple flower clusters found in wet places

joe job
  • NSFW
9.9

A fake email sent to make someone look bad using their email address

Joe Millerism
  • Archaic
9.9

A shallow argument that lacks new ideas or evidence

Joe Schmoe
  • Slang
7.9

A name people use for an ordinary, typical man

Sleepy Joe
  • Offensive
9.1

A person who often falls asleep or looks drowsy

A tall North American plant with leaves around the stem and clusters of purple-pink flowers

How Ordinary

ordinary
5 2.0
Joe
  • Informal
10 2.5
well-known
253 1.0
celebrity
480 2.3

Surface Forms

Joe singular
Joes plural

Etymology

Joe for an ordinary man comes from using Joe as a very common name, like in 'Average Joe' or 'G.I. Joe', so it came to mean an 'ordinary' or 'regular' person.