Johnny Foreigner en · PROPN
Etymology
UK late-20th century. The Oxford Dictionary of Modern Slang says "first recorded in 1990 but in use earlier". From John or Johnny as a personified idea. Compare Johnny Canuck (“Canadian”), Johnny Crapaud (“Frenchman”), Johnny Reb (“Confederate American”).
Meanings
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(UK, derogatory, informal, qualifier:satirical) Foreigners collectively; people who are not British, as expressed by an individual with an out-dated, nationalistic or imperialistic perspective.
Mr. King's message was that Johnny Foreigner does it better than us. In Germany, in Japan and in the United States, these bottlenecks just do not happen.
1984 December 3, John Torode, “Why must training for tomorrow be a dead turn-off?”, in The Guardian, page 18:No wonder Johnny Foreigner lays in supplies of the stale bread rolls whenever he appears over the horizon.
1983, Richard Ingrams, John Wells, Private Eye - Issues 550-575, page 70:...the constant threat of spontaneous outbreaks of singing on Centre Court by pop has-beens and the occasional ungentlemanly antics of Johnny Foreigner...
2004, Charles Godfrey-Faussett, Footprint England:A time when Johnny Foreigner knew his place. A time when beautiful women from other countries existed primarily to be seduced...
1999, James Chapman, Licence to thrill: a cultural history of the James Bond films: