Meanings
nounhonest John (plural honest Johns)
plural honest Johns
- idiomaticAn ordinary, honest, member of the public
The high street was a place of utility once, with concentrated amenities. It was a place of wildly fluctuating codes of behaviour and scruples. Particular smells. Finicky proprietors. Honest johns. Crooks.
2020 September 1, Tom Lamont, “The butcher's shop that lasted 300 years (give or take)”, in The Guardian
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Cite this entry
APA
honest John. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honest%20John
MLA
“honest John.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honest%20John. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “honest John,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/honest%20John.
Source: honest John on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.