Tom, Dick and Harry

/ˌtɒm.dɪ.kənˈhæ.ri/

noun

Anybody or everybody; random or unknown people.

“any Tom, Dick or Harry”

Meanings

nounTom, Dick and Harry pl (plural only)

alternative Tom, Dick or Harry

  1. pluralplural onlyAnybody or everybody; random or unknown people.

    any Tom, Dick or Harry

    5 more examples

    every Tom, Dick and Harry

    We want the place to be accessible to any Tom, Dick or Harry that happens to find it.

    Here is Tom, Jack, and Harry: Sing away, and doe not tarry. Merrily now let's sing, carouse, and tiple.

    1661, John Payne Collier, N D, editors, An antidote against melancholy: made up in pills., published reprint, page 90

    […] and that there was no such Thing as Government in the World; and that Tom, Dick, and Harry, ay, every individual Man, Woman, and Child, had a Right to the whole World […]

    1723, Charles Leslie, A short and easie method with the deists: Wherein, the certainty of the […] , page 12

    Those whose nature it is to be rational will instinctively ask why and wherefore, and wrestle with themselves for an answer. But why every Tom, Dick and Harry should have the why and wherefore of the universe rammed into him, and should be allowed to draw the conclusion hence that he is the ideal person and responsible for the universe, I don't know.

    1922, D[avid] H[erbert] Lawrence, “First Steps in Education”, in Fantasia of the Unconscious, New York, N.Y.: Thomas Seltzer, →OCLC, pages 111–112
  2. pluralplural onlyuncommonbusinessThree hypothetical customers, user personas, or similar constructs.

Origin

Three common first names. Many languages have similar formations; see translations.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans Jan Rap en sy maat
  • Jan Rap en sy maatanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Arabic فُلَانٌ وَعِلَّان, كُلُّ مَنْ هَبَّ وَدَبَّ
  • فُلَانٌ وَعِلَّان (fulānun waʕillān)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • كُلُّ مَنْ هَبَّ وَدَبَّ (kullu man habba wadabba)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Basque Urlia, Sandia eta Berendia
  • Urlia, Sandia eta Berendiaanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Bengali রাম শ্যাম যদু মধু
  • রাম শ্যাম যদু মধু (ram śêm jodu modhu)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Bulgarian Су́льо и Пу́льо, ку́цо и сака́то
  • Су́льо и Пу́льо (Súljo i Púljo)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • ку́цо и сака́то (kúco i sakáto)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • фила́нкишията (filánkišijata)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Catalan en Pau, en Pere i en Berenguera
  • en Pau, en Pere i en Berengueraanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Chinese Mandarin 張三李四 /张三李四, 阿貓阿狗 /阿猫阿狗
  • 張三李四 /张三李四 (Zhāng sān Lǐ sì)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • 阿貓阿狗 /阿猫阿狗 (āmāo'āgǒu)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Danish hvermand, gud og hvermand
  • hvermandanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • gud og hvermandanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Dutch Jan en Alleman, Jan, Piet & Klaas
  • Jan en Allemananybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Jan, Piet & Klaasanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Finnish mattimeikäläinen
  • mattimeikäläinenanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
French Pierre, Paul ou Jacques, Pierre, Jean, Jacques
  • Pierre, Paul ou Jacquesanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Pierre, Jean, Jacquesanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
German Hinz und Kunz, Krethi und Plethi
  • Hinz und Kunzanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Krethi und Plethianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Hans und Franzanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Greek κάθε καρυδιάς καρύδι
  • κάθε καρυδιάς καρύδι (káthe karydiás karýdi)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Hindi ऐरा-ग़ैरा नत्थू ख़ैरा, फ़लाना-ढिमाका
  • ऐरा-ग़ैरा नत्थू ख़ैरा (airā-ġairā natthū xairā)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • फ़लाना-ढिमाका (falānā-ḍhimākā)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • रमदू फट्टू (ramdū phaṭṭū)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Hungarian boldog-boldogtalan, mindenki
  • boldog-boldogtalananybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • mindenkianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • bárkianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • akárkianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Italian Tizio, Caio e Sempronio
  • Tizio, Caio e Sempronioanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Norwegian Bokmål Gud og hvermann, Per, Pål og Askeladden
  • Gud og hvermannanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Per, Pål og Askeladdenanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Persian اره و اوره و شمسی کوره
  • اره و اوره و شمسی کوره (âre o ure o šamsi kure)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Polish Jan Kowalski
  • Jan Kowalskianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Portuguese Fulano, Beltrano e Cicrano, Fulano, Sicrano e Beltrano
  • Fulano, Beltrano e Cicranoanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Fulano, Sicrano e Beltranoanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Russian ка́ждый встре́чный и попере́чный, Ивано́в, Петро́в, Си́доров
  • ка́ждый встре́чный и попере́чный (káždyj vstréčnyj i poperéčnyj)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Ивано́в, Петро́в, Си́доров (Ivanóv, Petróv, Sídorov)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Slovak Joži or Džony
  • Joži or Džonyanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Spanish Fulano, Mengano y Sotano, Fulano, Zutano, Mengano y Perengano/Perensejo
  • Fulano, Mengano y Sotanoanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Fulano, Zutano, Mengano y Perengano/Perensejoanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • cada hijo de vecinoanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • cualquier hijo de vecinoanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Swedish Andersson, Pettersson och Lundström, kreti och pleti
  • Andersson, Pettersson och Lundströmanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • kreti och pletianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Tamil குப்பனோ சுப்பனோ, வருகிறவன் போகிறவன்
  • குப்பனோ சுப்பனோ (kuppaṉō cuppaṉō)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • வருகிறவன் போகிறவன் (varukiṟavaṉ pōkiṟavaṉ)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Turkish Ali Veli, Ahmet, Mehmet
  • Ali Velianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
  • Ahmet, Mehmetanybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Urdu ایراغیرہ نتھو خیرا
  • ایراغیرہ نتھو خیرا (era ġera, nathu, khera)anybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Vietnamese An, Binh, Cường, Dũng
  • An, Binh, Cường, Dũnganybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Welsh Twm, Dic neu Harri
  • Twm, Dic neu Harrianybody or everybody; random or unknown people
Cite this entry
APA

Tom, Dick and Harry. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tom%2C%20Dick%20and%20Harry

MLA

“Tom, Dick and Harry.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tom%2C%20Dick%20and%20Harry. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Tom, Dick and Harry,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Tom%2C%20Dick%20and%20Harry.

Source: Tom, Dick and Harry on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.