Tommy Atkins

English

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Tommy Atkins

Where it comes from

Said to be a fictitious name inserted in document templates given to soldiers to guide them in filling out account blanks, etc. Found in the publication Soldier's Account Book (1815) and later in King's Regulations (1837). Compare also John Doe and Richard Roe.

proper noun

Generic term for any British soldier. O it's Tommy this, an' Tommy that, an' "Tommy, go away"; But it's "Thank you, Mister Atkins", when the band begins to play

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MLA

"Tommy Atkins." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tommy%20atkins. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

Tommy Atkins. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tommy%20atkins

Chicago

"Tommy Atkins." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tommy%20atkins.

BibTeX

@misc{tommy_atkins_2026,
  title = {Tommy Atkins},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tommy%20atkins},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}