Whether you prefer it hot and black or poured over ice, mixed with milk and sugar, and topped with whipped cream, there are countless ways to enjoy your coffee. There are also countless nicknames for the beloved beverage, one of the most popular being “cup of joe.” But as common as this phrase is, its etymological origins are as murky as dark roast. Let’s examine some possible theories about its coinage.
There are several strong, albeit unverifiable, theories behind the origins of the phrase “cup of joe.” Linguist Michael Quinion argues that the most reputable theory is that “joe” is shorthand for “jamoke,” a portmanteau of “java” and “mocha” — referring to Java, Indonesia, and Mocha, Yemen, two places known for producing high-quality coffee beans. Quinion calls this “the most boring, but most probable, suggestion.” He also cites a 1931 text called the Reserve Officer’s Manual that references “Joe” alongside “Jamoke” and “Java” as synonyms for coffee. Whether “joe” is related to the place names is up in the air, but “cup of joe” did gain popularity around the 1930s.
According to the fact-checking site Snopes, however, there are a few other potential origin stories. One possible theory is that “joe” refers to coffee being the drink of the common man — an average joe. An entry in the Random House Dictionary of Historical Slang links it to the 1860 song “Old Black Joe” by Stephen Foster, but the song isn’t about coffee, so that claim is less likely. A third oft-repeated, albeit unlikely, theory is that it’s named after Secretary of the Navy Josephus “Joe” Daniels, who banned alcohol on ships in 1914, thus leaving coffee as the most potent beverage to drink while at sea.
Despite the propagation of those three theories, each is flawed in one way or another. Quinion’s “jamoke” idea holds the most water.
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