Interestingly, the word coffee first appeared in English in 1598 in the form of the word caffa. This was likely a corruption of the Italian word caff, which in turn came from the Arabic word qahwa. Oxford English Dictionary, digital edition. Weve called fake coffee Boston coffee, Canadian coffee, and crumb coffee. These so-called coffees were made in the U.S. after the Revolutionary War, when Americans were abstaining from tea because of high British taxes, yet also suffering from high coffee prices. One of the more likely explanations of why coffee is called Joe is this one. Since this was just before the first world war broke out, it is easy to see why a ban on alcohol would make sense. The Martinson coffee company was one of the oldest coffee companies in the US, having been around since 1898. Since coffee is a popular pick-me-up for all, a cup of coffee is considered a "common man's drink." The first known printed reference to a cup of coffee as a cup of joe appears in a book from 1936. In 1914, Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels banned alcohol from his ship and wouldn't allow his sailors to drink it. One is because it's a beverage that's taken by the average man, or rather the average Joe. Whatever you prefer to call your coffee it is one of the healthiest and tastiest drinks you can make. As a result, mocha spread along the trade routes. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. A version of this article was originally published on Quick and Dirty Tips as "Why Do We Call Coffee a Cup of Joe?" When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. 69. This theory states that "Joe" is the simplified form of the word "jamoke," which began as a nickname for coffee in the 19 th century, a portmanteau of the coffee beans "Java," and "mocha.". The Brits will likely always reserve that word for tea, but we Americans tend to get British slang wrong. Last but not least, "joe" could come from "average . Military Connection The first theory is the one most popularly associated with the origin of this phrase. So, by giving coffee masculine slang terms like Joe or Java, it would make it a more acceptable, strong drink for men. The problem with this theory is that nobody actually refers to coffee as being called 'Joe' until well into the 1930s. Nowadays, Java no longer refers to the island, but the coffee itself. coffee in your life, drinking coffee for the first time. He was known to drink up to 12 cups of coffee a day! Of the many things he banned, one was the consumption of alcohol.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coffeebrewster_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_3',105,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coffeebrewster_com-medrectangle-4-0');if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'coffeebrewster_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_4',105,'0','1'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-coffeebrewster_com-medrectangle-4-0_1'); .medrectangle-4-multi-105{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:7px !important;margin-left:auto !important;margin-right:auto !important;margin-top:7px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}. Currently, Java is a general term used to refer to coffee, not just coffee exported from the island of Java. Their origins are just not as obvious as the other coffee terms weve seen so far. So will teachers, bus drivers and anyone who doesn't go a day without a cup of java. Coffee drinkers can enjoy just a cup of coffee, or they can add all sorts of flavorings to it. Each country has its own name for coffee. A cup of coffee was seen as the average man's drink. It comes from the Turkish word kahveh, and it seems to have come into European languages around 1600. 17th-century Dutch traders brought coffee to the Indonesian island of Java. It could have stemmed from anything from a Navy joke to simple evolution or linguistics. Since so many people travel to and from New York, the phrase could have spread this way. First, alcohol was already hard to obtain on military ships, so its doubtful that Josephus Daniels men were affected by the ban. Out of all the stories for the term cup of joe, this one is the most entertaining. This is because soldiers would often call each other by their last names, and there were a lot of Joes in the military. At the counter he says, "I'll take a large latte for myself, please, and one for the road.". When you write the word as many times as I do, you desperately need to find other names for coffee. This explains why coffee is also called the jitter juice. Other results you can experience if you drink too much coffee are insomnia, irritability, and increased thirst. Accessed September 23, 2019. 21. Locals may have referred to Joe's coffee as a "cup of joe" when it was first introduced in New York in 1898 by Joe Martinson, who was said to have a "bigger-than-life personality.". Lets do our best to find out Why is Coffee Called Joe? and learn more about the history behind coffees name. The first written record of the word coffee comes from a 1582 German publication called botanical Gardens Concerning Curious Plants by Leonhard Rauwolf. The most likely explanation is that coffee became known as Joe because it was seen as a drink for the average man. Because he was pressed for time. Over time, weve come to know coffee by a bunch of different terms. A cup of Joe is one of the most popular nicknames for coffee, and it has some pretty intriguing origin stories. If coffee was the common man's drink and the average man is called, "Average Joe", it doesn't take a massive leap to get to "A Cup of Joe". Another issue is coffee was regularly available on ships while alcohol was never in abundance. The ironic thing is that 'jamoke' was already a combination of 'java' and yet another slang word, 'mocha'. Why is Coffee Called Java? The problem is the comic is making a joke, suggesting that when that song is played in a restaurant, it means a customer wants coffee. However, new seafarers might have missed their liquors, especially if they were used to stopping for a drink at their local bar back home. So, as you can see, there are a few different possible origins for the word coffee.. So, we can see that coffees English name is likely derived from the Italian and Arabic versions of the word. In fact, coffee consumption in the United States has increased. As a result, the sailors started drinking coffee at an increased rate. However, the term mocha became popular in Europe via trade routes to Egypt, Malta, Syria, and Turkey. Secretary of Navy Josephus Daniels banned alcohol from his ship, During the 1930s, mocha and java were also becoming popular coffee terms, the Martinson coffee company actually trademarked the term cup of Joe.. It is not only an American drink but a global one. Why is the best coffee often made by Jewish coffee makers? Jamoke is another combination of the slang words java and mocha. After this, coffee became more popular among the elites, and it has since become a drink for all classes. So how did coffee get its name? The Word Game The next theory that claims its seat on the throne as the initiator of the term will be a favorite of all the wordsmiths out there. It's been said that because coffee is considered the drink of the everyman, it only makes sense that people would refer to the hot bean juice by the first name. Truthfully, the question why is coffee called a cup of Joe? has no clear answer. 21 Different Types of Espresso Drinks (with Pictures), How To Make Coffee While Camping (10 Easy Methods). After hearing all the theories, some seem more likely than others. The other theory is tied to the US navy, when they banned alcohol for shops, causing an interest in coffee for Navy's due to lack of anything else to drink. 2. It has a lot of perks. Dirt. And the rest, as they say, is history. We are no longer supporting IE (Internet Explorer), these are the only tricks you need for a perfect pot, coffee lovers have these things in common, Food Quiz: 25 Questions to Test Your Culinary Smarts, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. One of the most popular theories for why coffee is referred to as Joe is that back in 1913, Secretary of the US Navy Josephus Daniels imposed a ban on all alcohol aboard his fleet of ships. Joe. It has a military connection that goes all the way back to around 1913. The main reason the slang term "cup of joe" came about for coffee is because in 1913, the secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels outlawed alcohol on Navy vessels. For some reason, the term java took hold with the public. Top 10 Coffee Producing Countries and What Makes Them Unique. However, the creation cannot be traced to a single point. Your email address will not be published. Copyright 2023 Coffee Affection.All Rights Reserved. The claim is that, because of United States Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and his actions during his reign, coffee is got its reference as a "cup of Joe" or "Joe". Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. A man walks into a coffee shop carrying a big chunk of asphalt under his arm. Home Grounds. Grab your cup of Joe. People drink this t. (5). There are many theories about how this popped up. Another school of thought has it that the cup of Joe was named after Joe (short for Josephus) Daniels. The ban happened in 1914 so we are skeptical about this theory. Therefore, it became common to refer to coffee as Joe since it was something that everyone had to drink. Daniels wished to enforce a stricter morality in the Navy(America has a history of strongly Puritan values). You can choose to take iced, drip, brewed, or steamed coffee. In our case, this means a cup of coffee. Weve found several theories explaining why coffee is called joe. Required fields are marked *. Coffee is called Joe because it was originally called Java. There also the theory that since coffee took on the nickname . And why do we call you up every time we fancy caffeine? Greens Dictionary of Slang, digital edition. Ill go into more detail on each of these names in the next sections. Yemen still exports coffee branded as authentic Arabian Mocha. Here, coffee was grown on several islands such as Sulawesi, Sumatra, and, you guessed it, Java!if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'dripped_coffee-box-4','ezslot_5',118,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-dripped_coffee-box-4-0'); Java became the main island and source of coffee exported to other parts of the world. First, coffee is a global drink, and it is consumed in many different countries. The origin of nickname "Joe" for coffee is believed to have originated in New Orleans around the turn of the 20th century. The first time it was written down in English was in a medical textbook called The Physical Dictionary by Nicholas Culpeper. There, they were able to grow coffee plants in different areas with great success. Many phrases that come into common language are due to marketing. General Order 99 stated that: The use or introduction for drinking purposes of alcoholic liquors on board any naval vessel, or within any navy yard or station, is strictly prohibited, and commanding officers will be held directly responsible for the enforcement of this order. Stick with ordering just a cup of Joe instead! Fortunately, there is lots of coffee slang, nicknames for coffee, and coffee synonyms to choose from. During the 1930s and 1940s common men were called Joes. If that Joe wasnt behind the phrase, which one might be? This theory revolves around Josephus Daniel, a U.S. Navy secretary from 1913 to 1921. This was because, at the time, coffee was seen as a drink for ladies, and there was a popular belief that men should only drink alcohol. On Thursday, Rep. Jeff Duncan, R-S.C., was seen sporting a "Let's go, Brandon" mask. During World War II and the Korean War, many men served in the military. ). Learn more. first discovered in the Ethiopian plateau. Some people have described this feeling as being hit by lightning, which is why coffee is sometimes called cupped lightning. We first heard it in an old (the 1940s) movie, used by blue-collar type characters. With so many . This is why its sometimes referred to as rocket launch/fuel. This theory gets a lot more push back . During the 1930s, mocha and java were also becoming popular coffee terms. Soldiers may have referenced the brand Geroge and called their coffees cups of George until it was shortened to Geo. Coffee is sometimes called high octane. The average man who was in the military was referred to as a G. I. Joe. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. The history of coffee is long and fascinating, but it passes through hundreds of years without a Joe in sight. The second reason for this is that coffee has a long history, and it has been around for centuries. Its then said that when they reached port, the navy men spread the phrase around until it became common language. Another theory suggests that the word coffee comes from theTurkishword kahve which means strength. This is because coffee was originally consumed for its stimulant properties and was used as a way to stay awake during long nights of prayer. Welcome to Coffee Brewster. Origin stories ships why is coffee called joe joke so its doubtful that Josephus Daniels men were called.... Coffee terms reached port, the term mocha became popular in Europe trade! 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