
| Hancock, John 1737-1793. American politician and Revolutionary leader. He was president of the Continental Congress (1775-1777) and the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. Hancock later served nine terms as governor of Massachusetts (1780-1785 and 1787-1793). |
| John Hancock n. Informal A person's signature. [After John Hancock (from the prominence of his signature on the Declaration of Independence).] |
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.
John Hancock
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John Hancock
Also, John Henry. One's signature, as in Just put your John Hancock on the dotted line. This expression alludes to John Hancock's prominent signature on the Declaration of Independence. The variant simply substitutes a common name for "Hancock." [Mid-1800s]