Idioms
the man on the Clapham omnibus
- (British English, informal, old-fashioned) an ordinary person who is typical of many others
- Can you persuade the man on the Clapham omnibus that it is useful?
CultureThis phrase, which means the average ordinary English person (of either sex) has been in use since the 1890s when the word has been in use since the 1890s when the word ‘bus’ was already replacing ‘omnibus’. The choice of the bus from Clapham, an area of south-west London, has no special meaning; it is just a typical bus from a fairly ordinary place. The phrase is very old-fashioned now and it is much more usual to talk about the man (and/or woman) in the street.
Check pronunciation:
Clapham omnibus