Joe Citizen
- noun
Examples
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But Johnson is someone that the corporate-owned media won't let the average Joe Citizen hear about.
Blog text (30) -
Joe Citizen
Blog text (21) -
Young black males killing each other is such a common occurrence that it doesn't even get a raised eyebrow from Joe Citizen reading about it in the local paper.
Blog text (30) -
Many politicians claim to represent Joe Citizen, but they often prioritize their own interests instead.
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The new policy aims to improve everyday life for Joe Citizen and make essential services more accessible.
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Every election, candidates promise to listen to Joe Citizen, yet few actually follow through with their commitments.
Synonyms
An ordinary man without a title, rank, or special rights
A regular man who stands for the average person
An ordinary person who is not an expert
A regular person who shows the views of most people
A person who is like most everyday people
A typical person who represents what most people think
A person who has no title and is an ordinary member of society
An ordinary person who represents the public
A typical person with no special skills or fame
A name for an ordinary man like a neighbour or friend
An average person used as a name to represent most people in Australia
A name people use for an ordinary, typical man
Antonyms
How Typical
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'an average or typical member of the public' is directly derivable from combining 'Joe' (a generic male name used to represent an ordinary person) with 'citizen' (an ordinary member of a state). This compositional pattern (cf. 'Average Joe', 'John Doe') is common and transparent enough that a B1 learner who knows the constituent words will infer the intended sense.
Etymology
Joe Citizen comes from the simple idea of using a common name to stand for any person: Joe is a plain, everyday name and citizen means a member of the public. So Joe Citizen is a short way to say 'an ordinary or average person'.