Joe Shmoe
Generic everyday guy
Joe Shmoe is a placeholder name for an ordinary, unremarkable person—the generic everyman.
It's used when the specific identity doesn't matter or to represent the average citizen: What does this policy mean for Joe Shmoe?
The rhyming pattern follows similar constructions like Joe Blow.
Also spelled Joe Schmo.
Easy to identify with
- universalAffecting all equally
- representativeOne who acts for another
- symbolicRepresenting through signs
- quintessentialRepresenting the ideal type
archetypal · protagonist · character · narrative · allegory · folk hero · common man · salt of the earth
Placeholder for unidentified males
- Jane DoePlaceholder for unknown woman
- John Q. PublicHypothetical average citizen
- everymanOrdinary representative person
- anybodyUnspecified individual
nobody · hypothetical · generic · stand-in · fill-in · substitute · proxy · anonymous
Arithmetic mean or ordinary
- commonWidespread and unremarkable
- typicalRepresentative of a kind
- normalConforming to standard
- everydayOccurring each day
regular · unremarkable · mundane · plain · standard · conventional · usual · mainstream
relatable
Easy to identify with
- universalAffecting all equally
- representativeOne who acts for another
- symbolicRepresenting through signs
quintessential · archetypal · protagonist · character · narrative · allegory · folk hero · common man · salt of the earth · man on the street
John Doe
Placeholder for unidentified males
- Jane DoePlaceholder for unknown woman
- John Q. PublicHypothetical average citizen
- everymanOrdinary representative person
anybody · nobody · hypothetical · generic · stand-in · fill-in · substitute · proxy · anonymous · unnamed
average
Arithmetic mean or ordinary
everyday · regular · unremarkable · mundane · plain · standard · conventional · usual · mainstream · run-of-the-mill
Joe Shmoecelebrity
Widely recognized public figure
A-lister · superstar · household name · public figure · star
Joe ShmoeVIP
Notable, for short
bigwig · big shot · somebody · mover and shaker · dignitary
Joe Shmoeone of a kind
Utterly without equal
standout · original · trailblazer · legend · phenomenon