Joe Blow
2
4.8
- noun
- Informal
:
Juan Pérez
- Many people think Joe Blow represents the typical views of the community.
Examples
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Of those 9,000 copies sold at $6.99 each, Joe Blow earns $5,040.
Blog text (1) -
If you're too stewed in economic assumptions, ask a Joe Blow on the street (or a business person or wage earner for over 20 years) if they think it is right or wrong about MMT claims.
Blog text (25) -
Will Joe Blow ever get his rights back?
Blog text (1) -
Now let's look at what would happen if Joe Blow never sold the book at all.
Blog text (1) -
So how much money is Joe Blow losing in the long run by signing with a print publisher?
Blog text (1) -
I'm tired of seeing and hearing that Joe Blow is fighting for me, but never raises a finger.
Blog text (32) -
Joe Blow gets a $50k book deal with Publisher X.
Blog text (1) -
Joe Blow has earned out $41,213 of his $50,000 advance.
Blog text (1) -
When it comes to sports, Joe Blow is just like any other average person trying to enjoy the game.
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If you ask any Joe Blow on the street, they'll likely have a similar opinion about the weather.
Synonyms
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
1
6.3
A typical person who represents what most people think
1
5.2
A typical person with no special skills or fame
1
6.1
An ordinary person who represents the public
1
4.1
An ordinary member of the public
A name for an ordinary man like a neighbour or friend
A name people use for an ordinary, typical man
Antonyms
How Typical
Surface Forms
Morphology
Joe + Blow
The phrase uses a personal name as a placeholder for an ordinary person, so knowing 'Joe' as a name gives a clue that it refers to a person, but the contribution of 'Blow' is non-transparent (and even missing a dictionary sense here). The specialized, colloquial use (like 'Average Joe' or 'John Doe') is idiomatic and culturally specific, so a B1 learner who knows the words may infer it refers to some person but not reliably derive the precise meaning 'an ordinary/typical person' without prior exposure.
Etymology
Joe Blow may come from using Joe as a very common first name and Blow as a plain last name to make a simple, common name. Because it sounds like any ordinary person, it now means 'an ordinary or average person'.