Maybe you're the type of coffee drinker who treasures their first cup, sipped out of a "But first, COFFEE" mug every morning. Or maybe you have a quadruple shot of espresso to slingshot you into your morning. Even if you don't drink coffee, the beverage has probably crept into your vocabulary. “Let’s get coffee” is an easy way to say, “Let’s hang out for about 30 minutes, because finishing this cup will naturally wind down the conversation.”
But let's talk about the vocabulary of coffee itself. Like the seemingly endless menu of coffee orders and customizations, there are many names for the beverage we come back to morning after morning.
Joe
"Cup of joe" has mixed origins. One theory claims that it’s named after a Navy general, Joe, who told sailors, "No more booze, only coffee from here on out." A second theory suggests that Joe is a common man’s name, just as coffee is his drink. And a third theory, which stems from our love of shortening words, posits that "joe" is an abbreviated version of the words "java" and "mocha" combined.
Java
Coffee became popular worldwide in the 19th century, and the primary source was Java, Indonesia. "Java," as a slang term for coffee, caught on as quickly as the beverage itself. You're likely to find a "Java Hut" in every small town.
Mud or Dirt
Sometimes you just need a hot cup of mud to get going in the morning. "Mud" and "dirt" are somewhat obvious as far as nicknames go, but we can't overlook them. Coffee, mud, and dirt are all brown, but the slang probably came from bad coffee, thick with grounds. If someone calls the coffee you made them "mud" or "dirt," you might want to practice your barista skills.
Bean Juice
You can't quite juice a coffee bean like a lemon, but you can still make an excellent cup of bean juice. True coffee connoisseurs start their morning ritual by grinding up coffee beans. The treatment of the coffee bean can lead to great variety in the cup of coffee you drink. The darker the roast on coffee beans, the deeper and more complex the flavor. Combine the perfect grind with hot water and your choice of brewing technique, and you have a decadent cup of bean juice.
High Octane
Some people drink coffee purely for the energetic feeling that they get from the caffeine entering their bloodstream. Caffeine can increase your heart rate and blood pressure, leading to a jumpy or jittery feeling. Even so, truly caffeine-addicted folk will be lining up for their fourth or fifth cup of high octane before noon.
Feel free to try out any of these slang terms for coffee with your barista, but if your specialized order starts to resemble a list, maybe throw an extra buck or two in the tip jar.