man on the street
B2-C1Informal, journalistic, conversational. Sometimes used in more formal contexts like sociology or political commentary.
Definition
Meaning
An average, ordinary person who is not an expert or specialist, representing general public opinion.
A hypothetical ordinary citizen used as a reference point for gauging common sense, typical attitudes, or mainstream societal views, often in contrast to elite or professional perspectives.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
A collective singular noun phrase referring to a generic, representative member of the general public. Grammatically treated as singular but notionally plural. Often used with 'the' and in hypothetical constructions.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Both use the phrase identically. 'Person on the street' is a common gender-neutral alternative in both varieties, with perhaps slightly more rapid adoption in American media.
Connotations
Neutral to slightly positive, implying authenticity and common sense. In both, it can carry a slight patronizing note if used by experts dismissing public opinion as uninformed.
Frequency
Equally common in both UK and US English in news, politics, and social commentary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
What would the man on the street think?Politicians are out of touch with the man on the street.We asked the man on the street for his opinion.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Everyman”
- “Joe Public”
- “the voice of the people”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in market research to describe typical consumer attitudes: 'We need to test this product with the man on the street.'
Academic
Used in sociology, political science, and media studies as a conceptual category representing public opinion.
Everyday
Common in casual conversation about politics, prices, or popular culture: 'The man on the street doesn't care about that policy detail.'
Technical
Not typically used in highly technical fields; more common in social sciences and journalism.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The policy was man-on-the-streeted to gauge public reaction. (rare, informal)
American English
- They man-on-the-streeted the proposal before the launch. (rare, informal)
adjective
British English
- We conducted a man-on-the-street interview for the news segment.
American English
- The reporter did a man-on-the-street survey outside the courthouse.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The man on the street likes this park.
- The newspaper asked the man on the street about the new law.
- For the man on the street, the rising cost of living is the most pressing issue.
- While economists debated the metrics, the man on the street experienced the recession through job insecurity and stagnant wages.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine stopping a random person walking down a busy HIGH STREET to ask their opinion—that's the 'man on the street'.
Conceptual Metaphor
SOCIETY IS A STREET (the public are people walking on it); COMMON SENSE IS ACCESSIBLE (found on the street, not in ivory towers).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid literal translation resulting in 'мужчина на улице' which sounds like a specific person literally on the pavement. Use 'средний/обычный человек', 'рядовой гражданин', or the established calque 'человек с улицы'.
- The phrase is singular in form but plural in meaning, unlike Russian collective nouns which are grammatically singular.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'men on the street' in the singular generic sense (though 'people on the street' is fine).
- Omitting the definite article 'the'.
- Confusing it with 'man in the street' (less common variant).
Practice
Quiz
In which context is 'man on the street' LEAST likely to be used?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be, as it uses 'man' generically. In modern usage, alternatives like 'person on the street', 'average person', or 'everyday people' are often preferred, especially in formal writing, though the original phrase remains common.
Yes, but it changes the meaning slightly. 'Men on the street' typically refers to multiple specific ordinary men (e.g., interviewing several individuals), whereas 'the man on the street' is a singular concept representing the average citizen collectively.
'Everyman' is a more abstract, allegorical figure representing all of humanity, often used in literature and art. 'Man on the street' is more concrete and journalistic, referring to contemporary public opinion.
It functions as a singular noun phrase, usually preceded by the definite article 'the'. Verbs agree with it in the singular (e.g., 'The man on the street is worried'), though the sense is notionally plural.