John Henry

idiom

Meaning

One's signature.

Origin

disputed origin

Believed to be a Western United States cowboy variation (dating from the late 1700s or early 1800s) of John Hancock, the first person to sign the United States Declaration of Independence and whose name later became a synonym for a signature. This usage predates the American folklore hero John Henry from the 1870s.

Examples

SIMPLE

Please put your John Henry on this document.

CONTEXTUAL

The contract is ready for you to sign, so just add your John Henry at the bottom.

COMPLEX

After reviewing the final terms of the agreement, he took the pen and placed his John Henry on the dotted line to formalize the deal.

Anchors to

Henry

Last updated April 17, 2026