[Retlaw]

Originally Posted by susie123

This is what Wikipedia has to say, Anne:

"Joe Soap" is British rhyming slang denoting a foolish stooge or scapegoat. Joe being an ordinary person, with Soap as a rhyme for dope. The phrase appeared in a 1943 book of military slang by John Hunt and Alan Pringle: “Joe Soap, the ‘dumb’ or not so intelligent members of the forces. The men who are ‘over-willing’ and therefore the usual ‘stooges’.” The name Joe Soap appears in the WW1 song "Joe Soap's Army" sung to the tune of "Onward Christian Soldiers". ("Forward, Joe soap's army, marching without fear, with our brave commander, safely in the rear.")

Like many of the expressions posted on here, I don't think it's as "local" as you might think.

During WW1, lots of soldiers from different parts of the country served in the same regiments, slang terms from some lads, would quickly be accepted by blokes who had never heard them before, especially if the were amusing, they would then use them when home on leave, or after discharge, & would soon spread round until it became accepted as a local saying. One such saying thats not used much today, "All my eye & Betty Martin", tha tawkin gibberish.

Retlaw.