Cup of Joe
A cup of Joe?
Who is this Joe guy anyway?
Plus what’s your craziest cup of Joe? Or one you’ve heard someone else order?
Author: HotForWords
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Only now do I realize that I am not the sole example of one version of us crazys who inhabit the earth.
In the mid-90’s – Starbuck’s opened a store 2 doors down from my office in Glendale, Ca. My partners and I were [ecstatic] at first! We could walk in for a really good cup coming into work, and didn’t have to concern ourselves with making Folgers and so forth in the office – we could get right to business with a great tasting drink to boost us along…
Pretty soon, we had to get to work 30 minutes early to account for waiting in line behind 20-30 people ordering a Venti half-caf Mocha Frappacino with a quarter fraction pump of something, and extra foam…and determining the proper flavor of Scone, and asking it it was wrapped in environmentally friendly and recycleable paper…
Finally, after observing all the fascinating social interaction and decision making that those ahead of me seemed to live for – and it was my turn to be asked ‘What can I get started for you today?’…my answer was always the same. I JUST WANT A CUP OF COFFEE PLEASE – BLACK!!!! 10 seconds later I was on my way…forget going back for a refill later…not enough time in the day…
Now I’m so sophisticated that I sometimes opt for an Iced Vanilla Latte in the afternoon when it’s 100+ outside (I live in Palm Springs now) – but the experience of standing in line hasn’t changed much…
Yesterday at Starbucks, someone ordered a venti 752: a latte with 7 pumps mocha, 5 pumps pumpkin spice and 2 pumps vanilla. Crazy, right? I got to taste it – massive sugar assault!!
Could it just be that people found the foreign word Java, too difficult to pronounce, and started using the closest English word, Joe, instead?
According to Robert A Heinlein coffee comes in 5 descending stages.
Coffee
Java
Jamoke
Joe
and Carbon Remover
Back in my days as a US Marine we referred to coffee that was very poor quality as a cup of Joe.
Which fits with your explanation that coffee was the drink of the common man in the 1930’s. During the Depression people couldn’t afford to buy coffee as often as today and they would re-use their coffee grounds over and over with the quality of the coffee thus produced getting lower each time.
My random lesson–Purple is so pretty on you. Crazy not. I like black coffee and all others. Only go for starbucks music{Mac} or how about nevermind
i’m tired***Most crazy…brazillian and columbian, all from arabia—dutch treat
i love coffee 
the crazyest words for joe is the intire menu at starbucks
This was a really nice one with some small “sexy” in it
Don´t get mad but I had to DL it, then I placed it between my favorites and can´t find it anymore, so please be patient if you want it back
…..bye bye….
The most disgusting I’ve heard of is a pumpkin latte.
Here’s another theory for why it is called a cup of joe. Back in the 50’s, I believe, the baseball player Joe DiMaggio did commercials for coffee, and was known as Mr. Coffee. So maybe it could be that when someone had a cup of coffee, it was a cup of Joe DiMaggio? Just a thought.
so funny how she thought she saw a snake
When I order coffee, I order it plain. From the look I get from the food worker, it must certainly be the oddest way to drink coffee. But believe me, it’s an acquired taste well worth the effort. I like my coffee like I like my women…..hot and strong.
lol
hi Marina, i just want to know where the word cemetery came from. another word used with it a lot is gate or gates. that one would be interesting as well!
I used to work with a woman who got a double-tall, 4-pump, sugar-free, caramel, non-fat, no-whip, extra-hot, 2-Splenda latté.
Also, here’s a good one. What’s the root of anonymous?
Marina! I love hotforwords!
Here is a good word to talk about.
Smithereens
ex: “That ship was blown to smithereens!”
Thanks a lot and keep up the great work! You Rock!
You just covered “joe” referring to coffee. I have a question about another “J” name for you. About the same time I heard “cup of joe” start to get used, I also heard “jones” getting used to refer to a craving someone has. When and how did this come begin? When someone was jonesin’ for a cuppa joe, I used to have no idea what they were talking about! Keep it up, love the podcast!
Hey, Marina:
Where do words for groups of animals come from? Specifically, I’m thinking of terms like “a murder of crows” and “a pod of whales”. Dictionaries have the etymologies for the typical meanings of these words, but not these rather obscure senses.
For the record, I checked out my resources before asking you this, but came up with nothing. So I’m relying on your superior training and expertise, here.
Thanks, and keep up the great work.
-Spud
Why In England Do People Over There Call Pudding ( spotie Dick’s )
And How Did We Come UP With The Word ( Cow Poke )
And Another Question Why Do Men Refer A Womans Private Area ( Beavers or Pussy’s )
beaver goes back to the old trapper days. After long periods of time being alone men would use the beaver pelts to….. pleasuse themselves
What else can you get from your stepdaddy? I’ll have to remember that formula, crack + 50 cups of coffee = severe mental breakdown. Crack and coffee, now there’s a life.
How much caffeine would it take to kill alx?
I read somewhere that the lethal dosis of coffee is 250 cups (in one day, I guess). it’ll take 500 to kill me.
)
damn. it says 150.47! fucking liars!
no styll bredren! d leathl dose of coffee is bout 600 or the equvalent of drinking str8 coffee for about 48 to 3 days depending on what kind of person you are and if you use crack (got dis from mi stepdaddy) as apparently crack + 50 cups of coffee will lead to a severe mental breakdown
What else can you get from your stepdaddy? I’ll have to remember that formula, crack + 50 cups of coffee = severe mental breakdown. Crack and coffee, now there’s a life.
argh. the scene with the baby crawling on the ceiling is so … argh … wargh …
The expression,”hang-loose”
Thank you.
Marina,
I have been unable to find any definitive answer as to where “Murphy’s Law” comes from. I can find no reference to who Murphy was, and not even a concrete date as to when it first appeared.
Any ideas?
I’m actually guilty of what I think is a weird request:
a
large
soy
chai *with*
a shot of decaf espresso *and*
a squirt of sugar-free vanilla.
In other words, a way to waste $4.11 plus tip….
Marina:
I love coffee
I love tea
I love the java jive
and it loves me
Coffee and tea
and the jive in you and me
A cup a cup a cup a cup a cup…
Keep up the great work, my little babushka!
XXX-Ledo Road
бабушка?
she’s not that old. oO
My grandmother never looked that good.
well, do you know what she looked like around 30?
java jive
I like the one on the left. so, which one’s your grandmother?
grandma was mighty perty for a country girl!
“The dictionary does not contain any entries for perty
Orthographically similar words – English:
pertly – party – petty – peaty – perky – pervy – perry – pert
Orthographically similar words – German:
Party”
:/
I like the sister, though.
D
Grandpa was handsome to, and good with the banjo. Ever miss Kentucky?
yes, I do. I mean it. :/
What did you study in Kentucky?
holly b. :/
and strolled around in the glory halls of ballard high.
distance makes the heart grow fonder.
Recently I’ve been wondering where does the word “eavesdropping” come from since eaves doesn’t have anything to do with listening, at least according to dictionary
How about the word Address and why it sounds like something a woman would wear? Of course I’d like to see you out of yours!
da wah fi ah good vid styll marina. you makin dis island go crazy ova ya vids ya na
I’ve always wanted to know the origin of “Goody-Two-Shoes” or “Goody-Too-Shoes” (I’m not quite sure which way it’s supposed to be written).
Thanks for another great vid. ^_^
Hey Marina
I take a great interest of a word I’ve heard some days ago:
“onomatopoetic”
What does this word mean?
would be great if I could get an answer from you!
Thanks a lot!
Love, a380_switzerland
Hay Maraina
I never want you to go on hiatus——— but can you tell me where
the woord hiatus came from?
Thank you
Canadaddy
Where does the word “Sandwich” come from Marina?
I thought that would be a good one to do.
Thanks
-Conor
This isn’t an old word but it is very well known in the USA.
The word is Hippie.
My Uncle is a High School English Teacher in Vegas, he gave me an answer but maybe he is just pulling my leg.
JWasiJR
Hey!
) : Guitar
I have a word(Please use it in your vid’s
I do not drink much coffee, but instead when I order a cup of hot tea, the people around me look at me if I was crazy.
Irish Cream is a wild cup of joe. Happy St. Patrick’s Day
Can you find a 3 words for plz? The words are behemoth, ponderous, and pulchritude.
Hi Marina,
Your site deserves it’s success, you sexy minx…
Say, what does minx mean and where does it come from?
I think you may be from Ukraine, having met quite a few?
Either way, Kiev girls are the best
fox77177
Hey Marina,
I’d like to request the word ‘Internet’ and the word ‘Glib’.
Thanks,
Inaudible-Whisper
i want to request “Knee high to a grasshopper” i hear that all the time and i was wonder where that came from. thanks ~James
Well everymorning I get my self A:
Grande Latte Enima
How about “fix”?
Its an interesting word because in english it has at least four common uses: to repair something (”He fixed my car”), to make something stay motionless in its place (”She fixed her hair in a bun”), to prepare something (”I fixed a picnic lunch”), or…to have a pet neutered! (”I fixed Fluffy last Tuesday”).
Also its got an “x” in it, which is always a cool letter.
MARINA: In light of NY Governor Eliot Spitzer’s debacle with a ‘hooker’ can you please tell us the origins of the word PROSTITUTE? Does it have anything to do with DESTITUTE?
A friend of mine orders her coffee from Starbucks just like this, it’s crazy long and I feel so bad for them when they take her order. Caramel Macchiato, with a double shot of espresso, low foamed milk, xtra caramel, at 130 degrees. I’m a Chai Tea drinker myself so I always get the Iced Chai Latté, nice and simple…
-Dave
I would like to know the origins of the word(s) Blond vs. Blonde!
craziest cup of joe?
iced honey peppermint caramel white pumpkin spiced skinny cinnamon dolce vanilla macchiato. =]
I am unable to remember the full list of modifications of this particular Starbucks order I overheard, but the cup was black from all of the ink that was required to fulfill the order.
I even listened in after that person left as the Barista’s were sniggering.
I have a word request.
Where does the term “Kick the Bucket” come from?
Word Request: Mayday
What does a day in may have to do with needing help?
It comes from the French “venez m’aider,” meaning “come help me.”
“M’aider” is pronounced “may-day.”
Many Word Suggestions:
Beautiful, Fantasy, Fetish, Erotic and Exotic, Domination and Submission, Intercourse, Bump Uglies, Boink, Wicked, Intense, Enormous, Tiny, Stare, Disgust, Attraction, Turn-on, Turn-off, Partner, Horny, Smut, Mistake, Respect, Video, Tingle, Tight, Loose, Release, Butt, Wood, Stiff, Solid, Slender, Advance, Incline and Decline, Success and Failure, Imagination, Picture, Statue, Trophy Wife, Cinema, Reckless, Master, Servant.
Someone once ordered a large cup of coffee at the diner. How odd is that, a plain cup of coffee? no latte, no foam, no mocha, no two sugars, just plain ole coffee. It was weird.
Marina with Easter holiday approaching is there any chance you could tells where the word Easter comes from?
Thx, lots of love.
Oh and the craziest drink I’ve heard of is what a guy I worked with used to order.
I believe it was a Triple cupped triple pump upside down caramel macchiato.
I may have that a little off.
Ooh, and it was a Venti
I’d like to request a word:
Nefarious
Word Request:
I often like to spend my time solving different types of puzzles. Everything from crosswords and cryptograms to sudoku and anagrams. Sometimes I even make up a few new puzzles for my friends.
Could you explain the origin of the word “Puzzle” ?
And what about the origin of “Enigma” ?
I am of the old school. I order a medium black coffee. I will try not say “grande,” and I will never – ever – under any circumstances say the word “vente.” The fact that I even know these “words” disturbs me.
There’s an article on the web that equates the the complexity of one’s Starbuck’s order to how much of an asshole a person is. It cites the example of someone ordering a “decaf grande half-soy, half-low fat,
iced vanilla, double-shot, gingerbread cappuccino, extra dry, light ice,
with one Sweet-n’-Low and one NutraSweet” as being a very, very large asshole. http://nicco.blogs.com/jon/2005/11/index.html
I, luckily, have never heard such an order. The few times I have visited a Starbucks (I prefer Caribou Coffee or Dunkin Donuts), I have heard some iteration of the following: “Vente double-skim cap, mocha latte, extra foam.” That person is either female or extremely gay, but I wouldn’t consider him or her an asshole, necessarily.
So coffee is conformity. No wonder it puts me to sleep. I’m no average joe, I suppose.
Better go catch an older lesson before I nod off. Might as well get the Oscars one out of the way, since I’ve been forestalling it long enough. there’s just some words I’m not that into, but whatever… being a good student means being open-minded. Thanks for the new lesson, Hot For Words, even if a cup of coffee is not my usual order.
Dingdong
Poo
Wanker
Gay
Where r those come from and what made some of those words change over time and when about? like gay for example…
Thx Marina
Once again up too late. Caffeine. Tim Hortons is so popular up here in Canada that I pass Three stores on my way to work in the AM and usually stop at one & still make it in fifeteen minutes. Lots of starbucks here too but with fuel prices so high I can only put the expensive stuff in the car & the discount stuff in me.
Great lesson Marina & funny yes, although i suggest decaf’ because the Mic’ shouldn’t startle you so. But I am learning that making suggestions to women can be a dangerous thing to do (Married 25 years).
You do what you like because I like what you do.
I also enjoy reading the comments, especialy here on the website. It so much reminds me of my school days, the different personalities that are in any classroom show up here and also I know there must be many silent ones that don’t say anything. I’m learing still and trying to be a little more of a geek, hope thats a good thing. Even trying to do some work on my own websites, although newbyism stumps me sometimes. :
yo
yo
Yo momma?
or, yo yo ma?
http://www.yo-yoma.com/
go to http://www.runecape.com plz?
*rolleyes*
no, I meant, change it back to my name. lol.
P
Whoops! Oh well! Gone forever!
what? my name? forever? what in the world? :/
Do you guys or ladies play runescape?
First off he’s a navy secrecy who bans all alcohol on navy ships. And 2nd, I have no idea on either the craziest cup of Joe or someone else ordered. One last thing, what’s the expression of either word(s) modify or mod+ify?
Birthday. It may seem odd, but I’m curious to learn if there is anymore to the word and the two words that make it up.
Somehow my eyes just couldn’t focus on the Java map!
There was a map?
this isn’t the craziest coffee i’ve heard of but i just heard about it.
Taiwan’s formosan rock monkeys have been eating the ripe berries and spit out the seeds but the farmers are collecting the chewed seeds and roasting them it has become a favorite with the locals.
The monkeys eat the best fruits, and spit out the seeds. so it save time for the farmers who have to peel the fruit.
The craziest coffee in the world is Kopi Luwak. It is the most expensive kind of coffee anyone can get. It is made from beans that are eaten by a cat-like Indonesian animal called a “palm civet.” The palm civet just likes to ingest the ripest and reddest coffee beans, which also happen to be the ones best for brewing. The cat eats the outer covering of the beans in the same way that is accomplished by de-pulping machines. Something happens to the beans in the journey through the cat’s intestines that gives it a flavor that is celebrated by coffee drinkers. The beans pass through the animals’ digestive systems and are finally defecated back into the world. They are then gathered up, and made into coffee.
So, next time someone at work says, “Oh, man! This coffee tastes like shit!” Just tell him it’s the gourmet Kopi Luwak coffee, the most expensive in the world.
2 Felines, 1 Cup?
How much coffee did you drink?
In the future, could you do the origins of the words “hiccup” and/or “vicinity”? Just a couple ones that popped into my head that I’d like to know about. Thanks sweetness.
This is a favorite word. What is the origin of the word – mollycoddle?
raise the roof Marina you are very sexy.
The FULL MONTY would like to submit a saying to be investigated.
My name is actually Monty and I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind giving a visual presentation of what The FULL Monty really is and where it was originated from?!
Since I have this name I have been known to live up to my name but would much rather have my teacher show me the correct way of pulling it off…
So teach, let me know if you can solve this….
-Your #1 Italian fan! & Your “FULL MONTY”
Amazingly beautiful as always Marina
I rate you ♥♥♥♥♥ 5 Hearts!
–Hunter
Help! Marina’s evil twin stole my “MOJO”!
Actually, Mojo is my favorite cofee drink… just regular mocha java… no late.
where does gopher come from… and why does it sound like Go For…
Constitution
Constituent
Constipate?
Where does constipate come from? *snicker*
j/k
going to a gourmet coffee joint just for a boring regular cup of coffee… watching all the coffe affeccionados’s jaws dropping. I usually just go for the chai tea XD (which I love the name of “tea” tea.. that’s wonderful).
I still really want to know the origin and meaning of the word “darling.” Why do we call our beloved our “darling?”
Marina, are you going to give a lesson on my request, where did we get the saying “Heard it through the grape vine” ?
Phew, I thought you stepped on Arnold!
Speaking of standing in line at “that” particular coffee shop, check this out, you’ll LOVE it
http://youtube.com/watch?v=vFLs9RI8mSA
also on the topic of Coffee, have you heard of Kopi Luac? Pound for pound, it’s one of the most expensive beans/roasts, or whatever. Believe it or not, it comes from the digested excrement (POOP) of the Luac, which I believe is a South American animal. They harvest the Luac poop, which contains specific beans that the animal tends to eat.. I do not know how the Luac’s digestive processes affect the strength of the bean, but it may be somewhat synergistic in nature.
…Kinda like Captain Planet.
Ya take the Luac, it’s strong like a mouse
And ya take the bean…
And BOOM, the Terd is a SUPER STRONG coffee bean.
For real.
Okay, excuse me while I go play in traffic
Marina,
Yo no tomo cafe. Only after a long transatlantic or transpacific flight. Para ser honesto, yo nunca habia escuchado la frase a cup of joe.
Por cierto, te ves fabulosa cuando tu cabello se mueve de lado a lado. En verdad que eres una chica muy GUAPA. Sabes cual es el origen de la palabra GUAPA?
Besos,
Tu alumno No. 1
Marina,
Thanks for fixing it,
TPNo.1
Marina,
Your video just disapeared.
Is this a Poltergeist?
Please fix it so I can see you,
Thanks,
Tu alumno numero 1
haha.
D
hm, not really an order …
a few friends of mine were looking for pub, they were all crowded. eventually, we found one, but it was’n really a pub, it was more like a bar.
and I’m like,
– “wait, do they have coffee in there? (that’s basically all I drink.) certainly doesn’t look like it.”
a friend of mine goes,
– “well, it says ‘latte macchiato’ on that board here outside.”
– “I don’t want a latte macchiato, I want regular coffee.”
– “so tell them you want a latte without macchiato.”
err … right, dude. oO
You bastard, you beat me to it! Its the same set as the Tom Waits, “I don’t want to grow up” video. The whole movie (Coffee and Cigarettes) is about people meeting over cigarettes and coffee, some good stuff. RZA and GZA from wu-tang clan play off the music and medicine bit with Bill Murray (Ghostbusters). I think every segment is on youtube. I hate alx.
huh? say what?
now, hate is such a strong word, buzzgirly. :/
yeah, I know what the movie is about. jim jarmush. rox0r.
D
Same diner, same booth same table that tom waits sang, “I don’t want to grow up.” Same theatrical set, stage. A latte without macchiato is not a fucking cup of coffee.
I know it’s not, damnit. that’s the fucking joke.
I was agreeing with you. Apparently I wasn’t fucking explicit enough. Try a funky cup of coffee.
We could share a cup with iggy pop at the coffee shop.
I’m lost. I was fucking distracted, though. :/
“you don’t meet nice girls in coffee shops.”
What do you call that, a prolactin mocha colostrum latte?
no, no. my order would be a very simple one.
True, but you might find love nonetheless.
above reply to the nice girls and coffee shops
duh. I figured that out on my own.
uh, no … by myself. :/
Isn’t it like 4am in Germany? What kind of student are you?
yes, it is. we got a break. I’m more like a night person. actually, I’m cooking noodles right now. I’ll go to bed in about two or three hours or something. doesn’t really matter. hehe.
Noodles! I was in Alaska and ran out of water, had to eat hard ramen noodles. I kept on munching thinking it was gonna get better. It didn’t. The neighbors must wonder what your doing in there.
Almost midnight here. It’s closing time for me.
I thought there was plenty of water in alaska. and, didn’t you have anything else to eat?
Short story. Didn’t come down the mountain fast enough. Getting dark and cold. Ran out of water didn’t want to boil any, unpacking food, cooking and packing food away from camp would take too much time. I figure dry ramen smelled the least. So I sat in my tent and ate dry ramen noodles hoping a bear wouldn’t smell the food and eat me. When your eating dry ramen noodles it’s hard to listen for bears. Before hiking in Denali you have to watch a video. It explains that you shouldn’t scream in a high pitch or run as this will excite the bear. So, I had this image of myself very slowly pitching about and in a calm low voice saying, “yipes, a bear is eating me, help.”
Marina,
Once again soy el primero en ver tu video.
Tu me haces sonreir,
Besos,
Tu alumno No. 1
Dear Marina, not sure if this will appeal to mass viewers, but I was wondering if you could tell me the origin/meaning to my last name AMORUSO… if not the whole name, maybee you could discuss the pre-fix AMOR, and if this is still to foreign for you, maybee you could discuss the word LOVE… surely mass populations of teens (understanding the probibility of your market…. TEEN BOYS) will love to hear you lecture about love… what do you love (besides words)??? and how many different meanings the word love has evolved into…. thank you for your time…
lol nice…
Ok, how about this one. I have always been curious as to the origins of the word “Zed”, as how some european people to the number zero.
Thank you.
John
Zed is not for zero, but for the letter “Z”. It comes from the Greek zeta and/or Old French zede.
I say this only because I would like to be Marina’s teacher’s aide!! Of course, I’m not NEARLY as attractive!!
I would like to know where “needle in a haystack” and “colder than a witches tit” came from.