Origin of "joe" (coffee)--"Old Black Joe" (coffee without cream) in 1911 cartoon

[Page Stephens]

Gerald's upload reminds me of the old saying which I have heard so many
times. A waitress asks a customer how he likes his coffee , and he replies,
"The same way I like my women: hot and black."

There is no question about the derivation of this.

Page Stephens

----- Original Message -----
From: "Gerald Cohen" <gcohen at UMR.EDU>
To: <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
Sent: Wednesday, June 09, 2004 9:51 PM
Subject: Origin of "joe" (coffee)--"Old Black Joe" (coffee without cream) in
1911 cartoon


> ---------------------- Information from the mail
header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Gerald Cohen <gcohen at UMR.EDU>
> Subject:      Origin of "joe" (coffee)--"Old Black Joe" (coffee without
cream)
>               in 1911 cartoon
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----
>
>       HDAS says tentatively about "joe" (coffee; esp. in Navy):
> "perhaps as suggested in 1980 quote; the Foster song was extremely
> popular." ---1980: Mack & Connell, _Naval Trads._ (5th edition) 260:
> 'Some sailors call coffee "joe," which some say is a derivative of
> [Stephen] Foster's song, "Old Black Joe."'
>
>       Barry Popik sent me a 1911 'Osgar und Adolf' cartoon in
> connection with 'hot dog,' and one character speaks of 'Old Black
> Joe' meaning coffee without cream. [It fits into the context of
> hashhouse lingo,  and Jack Smiley mentions 'joe' (coffee) in his 1941
> book _Hash house Lingo_.]
>
>       The 1911 information is:
> 'Osgar und Adolf' cartoon, by Condo; title: 'Every Little Melody Has
> Meaning of It's [apostrophe: sic] Own'; _Tacoma Times_; , Feb. 27,
> 1911, p.4. (Misspellings below: sic) ---
> First frame, Osgar to Adolf: 'Diss moosik box shoult make you der
> orders plain, Adolf.  For instance ven id plays "Old Black Joe" id
> means coffee mitoudt cream. "Bring me a rose" means Limberger
> cheece--und "Come under my plaidie" means oatmeal porridge.'
>         Adolf replies: 'So?'
> Second frame, music box sings out: 'Hush-a-bye, baby, don't you cry'
> and 'Daddy buy me a bow-wow'
>         Adolf says: "I see, "Don'd you cry" means peeled onions and
> "bow wow" means sissage.'
> [Four more frames follow.]
>
> ----Gerald Cohen