common touch
2
4.6
- noun
:
toque humano
- And so, he was a good boss and obviously had the common touch... because he really knew what people wanted to watch.
- common touch humor
- lose the common touch
- show a common touch
Examples
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Having a common touch means being able to engage and empathize with everyday people, which is vital for leaders.
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Royal by birth but with the common touch, he charmed these pensioners, telling them he was looking forward to university.
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There is no doubt that Prince Harry has the common touch.
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As noted above, Clinton has it in spades: the common touch, plus tremendous authority and intelligence.
Blog text (29) -
But some contenders, like Bill Clinton, actually did come from humble circumstances and retained the common touch.
Blog text (29) -
And like his predecessor Wen Jiabao, he often displays a common touch with ordinary Chinese.
Blog text (13) -
The best case for Pawlenty is that he would bring a common touch and a populist style to a candidacy that currently lacks both.
Blog text (25) -
Many politicians who possess a common touch are beloved by the public for their relatability.
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The author's common touch in her writing allows readers from all walks of life to connect with her stories.
Synonyms
2
4.1
A quality that attracts many people from different countries and backgrounds
How Relatable
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase pairs 'common' (ordinary/relating to the people) with a metaphorical 'touch' (a subtle skill or quality), so the core idea—a quality for relating to ordinary people—can be partly inferred from the constituents. However, understanding requires recognizing the figurative use of 'touch' and mapping it to interpersonal ability, which is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Common touch creates the image of a person who can reach out to ordinary people: common means ordinary people and touch means a friendly reach or way of relating. That's why it means 'the ability to connect with ordinary people'.