"Joe Soap" is
Britishrhyming slang[1] denoting a foolish stooge or scapegoat, Joe being an ordinary person, with Soap as a rhyme for dope.
History
The phrase appeared in a 1943 book of military slang by John Hunt and Alan Pringle: "Joe Soap, the 'dumb' or not so intelligent members of the forces. The men who are 'over-willing' and therefore the usual 'stooges'." The
World War I song "Joe Soap's Army", sung to the tune of "
Onward, Christian Soldiers", has the lyrics "Forward, Joe Soap's army, marching without fear, with our brave commander, safely in the rear."
In popular culture
The song "Blind Youth" by
The Human League, released in 1979, contains the refrain:[2]Blind youth, take hope/You're no Joe Soap/Your time is due/Big fun come soon!
In the 2012 Dredd movie, a Joe Soap poster can be seen on a billboard during a bike chase scene.[citation needed]
Joe Soap was mentioned in chapter 17, page 125, of The Papers of Tony Veitch, the second book of
William McIlvanney's Inspector Laidlaw trilogy: "One of those studio mock-up LPs of recent hits recorded by Joe Soap & Company was playing, authentic as a wooden penny. It belonged. Harkness wondered if that was why she wore her hair long: her ears were made of tin."[citation needed]