The earliest written instance of calling coffee joe appeared in a 1941 book called "Hash House Lingo." The author, Jack Smiley, chronicled the lingo of roadside diners and soda shops to preserve ...

But hold up: Why is coffee called joe? As someone whose job revolves around words, I couldn’t help but delve into the history of the curious slang. Is the term based on some guy named Joe?

The origins of many coffee slang terms are obvious, but that’s not the case when it comes to cup of joe. While no one knows exactly where the name stemmed from, there are a few theories.