joe job
An uninteresting, low-level, low-paying job.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He hates his joe job at the warehouse.”
“I spend my days at a joe job answering phones for a small company.”
“My brother works a joe job at the local car wash every weekend.”
“After graduating, she took a boring joe job just to pay her rent while searching for a better career.”
“You might feel overqualified for this joe job, but it provides a steady paycheck while you finish your night school classes.”
“The manager knows that most employees treat this position as a joe job and leave as soon as they find something better.”
“Even though it is just a joe job cleaning tables, he does his work with a positive attitude every single day.”
“Despite his impressive academic credentials, he found himself trapped in a repetitive joe job, performing menial tasks that offered neither intellectual stimulation nor a path toward advancement.”
first recorded 20th c.
The term originated in 1997, following a specific instance of a spam attack directed at Joe Doll. In the computing context, the name preserves the identity of the individual whose address was forged as the sender of the unsolicited messages.
- 01
average joe
Alternative spelling of average Joe.
- 02
cup of joe
A cup of coffee.
- 03
don't give up your day job
Somewhat sarcastic but usually good-natured advice used to criticise a person's degree of talent (especially in music or other performing arts), implying that they are unlikely to be successful.
- 04
full-time job
An activity that consumes a great deal of time.
- 05
good job
Well done; congratulations!
- 06
great job
well done; congratulations! (a praise for someone's efforts, possibly to a higher degree than good job!)
- 07
inside job
A crime or other illicit action committed by or with the assistance of someone either having a relationship with a victim or entrusted with access to the victim's affairs and premises.
- 08
Joe Average
A hypothetical average or generic individual; the common man (or person, by extension).
Last updated August 10, 2026