The post about where the term 'GI' got me thinking if this and other terms (such as, what is the origin and meaning of 'jeep').

A 'cup of Joe'. Anyone knows where that came from?I think it's appropriate for this forum since it has a military origin for it.

May have started from 'a cup of java'? Java = joe maybe???

It's a stretch but we gotta start somewhere...

Bob

Sorry, but i'm afraid I don't. This kind of question or topic would be much better posted on the History Forum:

https://armorama.kitmaker.net/modules.php?op=modload&name=SquawkBox&file=index&req=viewforum&forum_id=15&page=1

Well, "Hotforwords" investigated and said that most likely it started in the 1930's when the common man started being referred to as "Joe". ie....."GI Joe", "just a common Joe", etc.... And coffee was the drink of the common man and picked up its name from there. She gives a couple of other less likely origins that escape me at the moment, but this one seems more likely to be true. As always, anything you find on the net is subject to scrutiny. Here is the URL to her video on this subject. Don't go if you don't like looking at a good looking blonde that loves word history.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9j_bc_vhBA

It is navy history.

1914 Cup of Joe Josephus Daniels was appointed Secretary of the Navy by President Woodrow Wilson. Among his Naval reforms were inaugurating the practice of making 100 fleet sailors eligible for the Naval Academy, the introduction of women into the service, and on July 1, 1914, he issued general order 99, which rescinded Article 827, the officers' wine mess. Rumor has it that from that time on, the strongest drink aboard Navy ships was coffee, and over the years, a cup of coffee became known as "a cup of Joe."

Hot For Words was extremely interesting to say the least.
I bookmarked it for future reference on the English language.

Egads, I was wrong. I thought Daniels was the Secretary of War, not the Navy.