# Who is the working man?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-working-man/720241>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [May 17, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-working-man/720241 "2015-05-17T14:46:17Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-working-man/720241/1 "2015-05-17T14:46:17Z")

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Here in the UK we have just had a general election. Due to the poor showing of the Labour party, there has been a lot of discussion as to whether they should be a Blairite New Labour party, or the more traditional left-leaning working man’s party.

What I have always wondered is who is this mythical working man? I am sure it is not generally anyone who works. I suspect that anyone who works employing other workers is excluded, as are those who work in some sectors, such as bankers. Are the self employed classified as workers? I suspect that for Labour aficionados the term only includes what they see as people who feel they are downtrodden. Which is very selective as some people are happy in their jobs, while some of their colleagues may not be.

Whoever he or she is, in these equal opportunity times, they do need to change their term to working person. But as as old Labour is tied to tradition, that may not be possible.

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**Author:** ![The\_Angry\_Badger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b38774/32.png) [@The\_Angry\_Badger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Angry_Badger)\
**Post date:** [May 17, 2015, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-working-man/720241/2 "2015-05-17T16:48:53Z")

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I’ve always understood it to mean manual/blue collar type jobs - what is traditionally seen as the working class.  
So think factory workers, shop workers, low end office workers, that kind of thing.

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**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-working-man/720241/3 "2015-05-18T17:34:13Z")

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It’s me, I’m the Working Man. Except for right now, when I’m the Procrastinating Man.

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**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-working-man/720241/4 "2015-05-18T17:36:35Z")

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You’re also number 215. One of the lowest I’ve come across!

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**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\
**Post date:** [May 18, 2015, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-is-the-working-man/720241/5 "2015-05-18T22:26:46Z")

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Geddy Lee is the working man. Just [ask him.](http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=2991)