Quote of the week:
“I think we should name the turkey Jubilation T. Corn-pone”Folk etymology of the week:
The term “Joe” for coffee originated in the navy, after an administrator named Joe banned wine aboard ships. Therefore, coffee was the strongest drink available (how exactly is coffee “strong” in the same way as wine?), and sailors hence referred to it by the name of wine-banning administrator Joe. The AHD4 provides a slightly more convincing etymology:Short for (old black) joe, military slang for coffee, from the title of a song by Stephen Foster.
—cts