man on the Clapham omnibus

English

Etymology

First put to legal use in a reported judgement by Sir Richard Henn Collins MR in the 1903 English Court of Appeal libel case, McQuire v. Western Morning News, who attributed it to Lord Bowen.

Noun

man on the Clapham omnibus (plural (rare) men on the Clapham omnibus)

1. (UK, law) Any hypothetical reasonable person used by the Courts in considering questions of reasonableness; an everyman.
2. (UK, by extension) Any ordinary person; everyman.

   Synonym: man on the street

See also

• man on the Bondi tram
• man on the Shau Kei Wan tram
• moron in a hurry
• person having ordinary skill in the art
• reasonable person