The best system falsely rejects 10% of true signatures, while it accepts 10% of forgeries. Change ), You are commenting using your Google account. “John Hancock” is the slang or idiomatic version of the word signature. In some countries, illiterate people place a thumbprint on legal documents in lieu of a written signature. Was there another real “John Henry” that had a notable signature? Absentee Ballot vs. Mail-In Ballot: Is There A Difference? [3] The paraph is used in graphology analyses. Definitions include: a short form (abbreviation) of the name John. John Hancock. There have been concerns that signature reviews improperly reject ballots from young and minority voters at higher rates than others, with no or limited ability of voters to appeal the rejection. I think one more needs to be added to the list. [17], Uniform Commercial Code §1-201(37) of the United States generally defines signed as "using any symbol executed or adopted with present intention to adopt or accept a writing." Mad ramblings and misadventures of a former sports editor. to: : John Henry being a very big man and hero? Indeed, he supposedly remarked, “I guess King George will be able to read that” (July 4, 1776). The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition elcivics.com. seems to be no connection between the John Henry of cowboy slang Many thanks for the information contained and the pictures, we were trying to find particular things today and handled to locate your blog site, we are leaving these remarks to ensure that you maintain creating more information like this. For these languages, to write or to sign involves the same written characters. It had the best clarification of “John Hancock” vs. “John Henry.”. Under British law, the appearance of signatures (not the names themselves) may be protected under copyright law. The name "John Hancock" or just "Hancock" has become a synonym for "signature" in the United States. So completely did it overshadow the autographs of the other founding fathers that the term 'John Hancock' has become synonymous with 'signature' and each of us at the one time or another has spoken of … In many countries, signatures may be witnessed and recorded in the presence of a notary public to carry additional legal force. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. A Rabbi, A Lawyer And A MasterCard Exec Explain, What is Signature? © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins ( Log Out /  Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. A signature. later than the first use of John Henry by cowpokes of the Old West." Participants in this study had 10 true signatures to compare to, which is more than most postal ballot verifications have. The term "John Hancock" can be used interchangeably with "signature" or "autograph." [15], In an experiment, experts rejected 5% of true signatures and 71% of forgeries. [11] When errors are made with bank checks, the payer can ask the bank for corrections. A Harvard graduate, Hancock was a prosperous Boston businessman who nonetheless favored American independence from Great Britain. slang One's signature. These systems handle scanned ("offline") signatures from multiple people ("WI, writer-independent"). And it shouldn’t keep you from getting the life insurance you deserve. This expression alludes to John Hancock's prominent signature on the Declaration of Independence. But who was this man with the giant script? [4] More recently, Members of Congress in the United States have begun having their signature made into a TrueType font file. A signature: “Please help us out and put your John Hancock on our petition.” The expression refers to the bold signature that John Hancock wrote on the Declaration of Independence. Phrases.org posted an excerpt from the “Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins” by William and Mary Morris. Mom was a bit offended when I tried to correct her. boldest and most defiant signature on the Declaration of Independence All rights reserved. Does Traditional Grammar Matter When It Comes To Singular “They” And “Themself”? Adams's excellent collection of cowboy jargon, 'Western Words': A similar euphemism asks a person to give his "John … I was alerted of this cultural mystery when someone came into my office and asked for my, “John Henry.” I thought about correcting him with, “You mean my John Hancock?” but I elected not to because I didn’t want to be a jerk. That prompted several great comments like, “Maybe he thinks you are a folk hero and good at laying railroad tracks,” “Maybe he wanted a hammer, not your signature,” and “It’s HERBIE Hancock.”. The traditional function of a signature is to permanently affix to a document a person's uniquely personal, undeniable self-identification as physical evidence of that person's personal witness and certification of the content of all, or a specified part, of the document. This text usually includes a name, contact information, and sometimes quotations and ASCII art. Definitions include: a stand-in name used to represent the everyman. [7][8] A signature: “Please help us out and put your John Hancock on our petition.” The expression refers to the bold signature that John Hancock wrote on the Declaration of Independence. | blorgons. it overshadow the autographs of the other founding fathers that Mom said it was a common saying when they were children.