John Q. Public

noun

variants or less commonly John Q. or John Q. Citizen

1

: a member of the public or the community : person, citizen

just another John Q. Citizen on the road

—Springfield (Massachusetts) Union

2

: the public or the community personified

Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public suffered no great deprivations

—Domestic Commerce

Word History

Etymology

from the name John + the initial Q. + public or citizen

First Known Use

1937, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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