The unwashed or the great unwashed is a way of referring to poor or ordinary people. A scowling man briskly led the Queen's husband away from the great unwashed
of or associated with the great masses of people; "the common people in those days suffered greatly"; "behavior that branded him as common"; "his square plebeian nose"; "a vulgar and objectionable person"; "the unwashed masses"
Unwashed people or objects are dirty and need to be washed. Leftover food and unwashed dishes cover the dirty counters
The collective group ("mass") of people who are considered by someone to be somehow uneducated, uninformed, or in some other way unqualified for inclusion in the speaker's elite circles
The Liberal campaign was so carefully orchestrated that McLeod was never in a position to be confronted by the great unwashed. Unfortunately, the great unwashed rarely vote for a leader whom they have never met.