Joe Average
1
5.2
- noun
- Informal
:
ciudadano promedio
- Many politicians claim to represent Joe Average, but their interests often differ.
Examples
-
It will take a fairly major event to stop the politicos and Joe Average from listening to such spin and lobbying and do as the people should wish.
Blog text (15) -
But first, let me introduce Joe Average and Jane Q. Public from Anywhere, USA.
Academic text (1996) -
They're Joe Average who just wants a phone and not a smartphone.
Blog text (27) -
Laying aside both parties' lust for my campaign contributions and my vote, I would say the Democrats are the ones who actually care the most about Joe Average Citizen.
Blog text (21) -
If Joe Average Citizen cheats, he is subject to the law, while a bankster cheats and is ignored.
Blog text (6) -
If you can't manage to portray a great image from the initial impressions, what kind of comfort are you offering to "Joe Average" that your service is A1?
Blog text (30) -
When discussing social issues, it's important to consider the perspective of Joe Average.
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Joe Average just wants to live a simple life and enjoy his weekends.
Synonyms
16
5.4
An ordinary person who most people can identify with
15
1.8
A regular man with no special skills or fame
10
2.5
A regular man who stands for the average person
10
2.7
An ordinary person who is not an expert
5
3.4
A regular person who shows the views of most people
2
4.8
A person who is like most everyday people
2
7.2
An ordinary person with average skills and no special qualities
1
6.3
A typical person who represents what most people think
1
1.4
A person who has no title and is an ordinary member of society
1
4.1
An ordinary member of the public
1
6.1
An ordinary person who represents the public
A name for an ordinary man like a neighbour or friend
A name people use for an ordinary, typical man
An average person used as a name to represent most people in Australia
Antonyms
- Specialized
27
4.8
A child whose thinking or physical ability is much different from most children
How Typical
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an ordinary or typical person' is directly derivable from combining 'Joe' (a generic male name used to denote an ordinary person) with 'average' (ordinary or typical). Although 'Average Joe' is the more usual word order in English, the semantic composition is straightforward and mirrors cross-linguistic 'everyman' patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents can infer the meaning.
Etymology
The phrase Joe Average comes from using the common name Joe to stand for a regular man and the word Average to show he is typical, not special. So, Joe Average means 'an ordinary or typical person'.