John Q. Public

noun

1. the average or typical U.S. citizen:

   an entertainment aimed at Mr. and Mrs. John Q. Public.

Word History and Origins

Origin of John Q. Public¹

An Americanism dating back to 1935–40

Idioms and Phrases

see under John Doe .

Example Sentences

Before Didion and Dunne learned to play the Hollywood game, the fledgling screenwriters made the rookie mistake of optioning books that they found interesting — not John Q. Public.

From New York Times

But to Jane and John Q. Public, to many of those outside the often confusing and impenetrable, opaque ring of the legal or criminal justice system, it’s merely code for “scram.”

From Washington Times

John Q. Public was out of luck.

From Washington Times

“How much of a responsibility does John Q. Public have when they see something that seems like a violation of the law, whether it’s violence or not?” he asked.

From Washington Post

What would you tell John Q. Public, the average American who feels that what Trump did with Ukraine is no big deal because, “Politicians are all corrupt. Who cares?”

From Salon