11 versions of 'Average Joe' from other countries

Morten Menigmand sounds anything but normal. And yet...

Average Joe
(Image credit: (iStock))

Average Joe, Joe Schmo, John Doe. He's bland and average. Faceless, but not nameless. Every country needs a way to talk about just "some guy." Here's what 11 countries call that typical guy, who might have no specific qualities, but is still "one of our own."

1. GERMANY: OTTO NORMALVERBRAUCHER

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Arika Okrent

Arika Okrent is editor-at-large at TheWeek.com and a frequent contributor to Mental Floss. She is the author of In the Land of Invented Languages, a history of the attempt to build a better language. She holds a doctorate in linguistics and a first-level certification in Klingon. Follow her on Twitter.