John Hancock

John Hancock
John Hancock colloquial for "signature," 1903 (sometimes, through some unexplainable error, John Henry), from the Boston merchant and rebel (1736-1793), signer of the U.S. Declaration of Independence. The extended sense is from his signing that dangerous document first or most flamboyantly.
John Hancock, president of Congress, was the first to sign the Declaration of Independence, writing his name in large, plain letters, and saying: "There; John Bull can read my name without spectacles. Now let him double the price on my head, for this is my defiance." [Hélène Adeline Guerber, "The Story of the Thirteen Colonies," New York, 1898]
The family name is attested from 1276 in Yorkshire, a dim. (see COCK (Cf. cock)) of Hann, a very common given name in 13c. Yorkshire as a pet form of Henry or John.

Etymology dictionary. 2014.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • John Hancock — Signatur John Hancock (* 23. Januar 1737 …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • John Hancock — John Hancock. John Hancock. John Hancock (23 de enero de 1737 8 de …   Wikipedia Español

  • John\ Hancock — • John Hancock • John Henry noun informal Your signature; your name in writing. The man said, Put your John Hancock on this paper. Joe felt proud when he put his John Henry on his very first driver s license …   Словарь американских идиом

  • john hancock — (USA) John Hancock means a signature his signature on the engrossed copy of the Declaration of Independence is very prominent …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • John Hancock — n. Informal one s signature: so called because John Hancock s signature on the Declaration of Independence is large and bold …   English World dictionary

  • John Hancock — • John Henry • John Hancock signature Please sign your John Henry here and we will process your order right away …   Idioms and examples

  • John Hancock — John′ Han′cock n. inf a person s signature • Etymology: 1840–50, amer.; after John Hancock, from the boldness and legibility of his signature …   From formal English to slang

  • John Hancock — [n] signature autograph, endorsement, inscription, mark, seal, undersignature; concept 284 …   New thesaurus

  • John Hancock — Infobox Governor name= John Hancock caption= order4=3rd office4= Governor of Massachusetts term start4= May 30, 1787 term end4= October 8, 1793 lieutenant4= Thomas Cushing predecessor4= James Bowdoin successor4= Samuel Adams order3= 7th office3=… …   Wikipedia

  • John Hancock — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Hancock (homonymie). John Hancock John Hancock, né le 12 janvier 1737 à Braintree (Massachusetts) où il est mort …   Wikipédia en Français

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