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名無しの権兵衛 (ななしのごんべえ) Japanese meaning | Kotomora
Meanings 1
noun
John Doe ; Mr. Nobody
colloquial jocular, humorous
Colloquial and humorous term for an anonymous or unimportant person, often used when the speaker doesn't know or doesn't want to reveal someone's name.
I don't know who did it, but we can just call him Mr. Nobody, right?
Written forms 名な 無な しの 権ごん 兵べ 衛え
名な なしの 権ごん 兵べ 衛え
Variant spelling using なし instead of 無し.
Kanji 名 name, noted, distinguished 無 nothingness, none, ain't 権 authority, power, rights 兵 soldier, private, troops Etymology The phrase literally means 'nameless Gonbee', where Gonbee is a stereotypical commoner's name. The exact origin is uncertain, but it has been used since the Edo period to refer to an anonymous person.
