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  3. Names (personal, company)

Max Mustermann

English translation: John Doe

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
German term or phrase:Max Mustermann
English translation:John Doe
Entered by: Bogdan Burghelea

13:02 May 2, 2007
German to English translations [PRO]
Bus/Financial - Names (personal, company) / Sample forms
German term or phrase: Max Mustermann
Does anyone know the English equivalent of Max Mustermann on a sample form or similar? I just can't recall it.
Patricia Will
Australia
Local time: 10:28
John Doe
Explanation:
...

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Note added at 3 mins (2007-05-02 13:05:59 GMT)
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Doe

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Note added at 5 mins (2007-05-02 13:08:02 GMT)
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... männlich, und "Jane Doe" weiblich.

... oder, wie's aussieht, geht auch "Richard Roe" männlich und "Jane Roe" weiblich.
Selected response from:

Bogdan Burghelea
Romania
Local time: 05:28
Grading comment
All of your suggestions are valid, but US English is required so I've gone for John Doe. Thanks.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
5 +12John Doe
Bogdan Burghelea
5 +1John Smith
Yasmin
3 +3John Doe / Joe Bloggs etc.
Francis Lee (X)


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


2 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +12
John Doe


Explanation:
...

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 3 mins (2007-05-02 13:05:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Doe

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 5 mins (2007-05-02 13:08:02 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

... männlich, und "Jane Doe" weiblich.

... oder, wie's aussieht, geht auch "Richard Roe" männlich und "Jane Roe" weiblich.

Bogdan Burghelea
Romania
Local time: 05:28
Native speaker of: Native in RomanianRomanian, Native in GermanGerman
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
All of your suggestions are valid, but US English is required so I've gone for John Doe. Thanks.

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Nadine Kahn: Yes! For a woman: Jane Doe
2 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  David Hollywood: or "Joe Bloggs" in the UK I think :)
3 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Nicole Schnell: And his lovely wife Jane. :-)
3 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  fairfaxcompany: and for the whole family: John Doe, Jane Doe and Baby Doe
3 mins
  -> or "Precious Doe". Thanks a million!
agree  Ingo Dierkschnieder
4 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Eva Schroeder: John Doe/Jane Doe
7 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Dr. Georg Schweigart
9 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Trans-Marie
14 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  Jim Tucker (X): yes but the subtlety of Mustermann's late expressionist work far exceeds Doe's crude brushstrokes
16 mins
  -> Thank you!
agree  jccantrell
1 hr
  -> Thank you!
agree  Julia Lipeles
3 hrs
  -> Thank you!
neutral  Clare Forder: I think "John/Jane Doe" is used more in the context of an unidentified dead body!
7 hrs
  -> Not necessarily! Please read the Wikipedia reference.
agree  Rebecca Garber: John Doe is the sample used on forms, living on 123 Elm St, Anytown, USA, iirc
1 day 1 hr
  -> Thank you! Interesting to know!
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1 hr   confidence: Answerer confidence 5/5 peer agreement (net): +1
John Smith


Explanation:
John Smith is a common placeholder name on sample forms, whereas adverts for credit cards or store cards often carry "Mr (or Mrs) A Smith" as alternative to A.N.Other.

As I was growing up in England, the surname Bloggs was considered common and Smith commonplace! As such, Joe Bloggs was the term used to refer to a hypothetical AVERAGE man, almost like any Tom, Dick or Harry (e.g. if it's good enough for Joe Bloggs, it's good enough for me) and John Smith was used on forms and advertising.

Yasmin
Local time: 04:28
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Armorel Young: yes, we need to know whether this is for UK or US
49 mins
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5 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
John Doe / Joe Bloggs etc.


Explanation:
Various options depending on geographical location.
http://www.snarkhunting.com/page/21/
... has options from all over the world!


--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2007-05-07 05:08:20 GMT) Post-grading
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Hmmm ... if only I'd also typed simply "---" as an explanation and not wasted time loking for that interesting reference!

Francis Lee (X)
Local time: 04:28
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  Ingo Dierkschnieder
0 min
agree  David Hollywood
1 min
agree  BrigitteHilgner: Aus meiner Londoner Zeit kenne ich den Typen als Joe Bloggs.
12 mins
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