Hoi polloi
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Hoi polloi (Greek οι πολλοι), an expression meaning "the many" in Ancient Greek, is used in English to denote "the masses" or "the people," usually in a derogatory sense. Since "hoi" means "the", it is incorrect to say the hoi polloi, even though this usage is well-established.
The phrase is often misused to refer to the upper class, which is the exact opposite of its actual meaning.
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