Joe's Diner (placeholder name)
Encyclopedia
Joe
's Diner
is a placeholder name
for a fiction
al or hypothetical everyman
's restaurant
. Although there are franchises that use the name, its rhetoric
al use is often to describe a small, local business contrasted against large businesses or franchise
s. The phrase "Eat at Joe's" is a complementary fictional or hypothetical typical advertisement for such an establishment, and has itself become a snowclone
in the form of X at Joe's, Eat at Y's, or simply X at Y's.
In addition to the fictional and hypothetical senses, there are of course many real eating establishments named "Joe's Diner". Some were so named prior to the popularity of the term as a placeholder name, and their existence contributed to the rise of this placeholder name.
A famous example is the Joe's Diner located in Lee, Massachusetts
, which was the subject of Norman Rockwell
's work "The Runaway." The actual Joe of Joe's Diner is the man behind the counter in this classic picture. Others were created after the name became popular for this purpose, and were named to take advantage of the term.
The expression, "Eat at Joe's", was a frequently-used gag in the Warner Bros.
cartoons during the 1940s, typically used when an image of a neon sign or other complicated tubing would appear. One example occurs in The Great Piggy Bank Robbery
, in which Daffy Duck
faces a host of dangerous characters, subduing them all, the final one being "Neon Noodle", whom he quickly twists into the shape of an "Eat at Joe's" neon sign, with a triumphant cry of "Tah-dah!" In another example, "Super-Rabbit
", the scientist's laboratory shows liquid flowing through tubing, which at one point takes the shape of the sign. In another such gag, a bear carries a sign that said "Eat at Joe's" through an entire episode, eventually going into the Joe's Diner followed by other. After a ruckus, Joe (the bear) comes out with a new sign that says "I'm Joe"; after which, an X-ray view of the bear's stomach show the other two characters, one of which holds up a sign that says "Don't Eat at Joe's".
Another cartoon, a joke-laden cruise, mentions the actual Sloppy Joe's
Restaurant rather than using the generic "Eat at Joe's" gag.
Joseph (name)
Joseph is a name originating from Hebrew, recorded in the Hebrew Bible, as יוֹסֵף, Standard Hebrew Yosef, Tiberian Hebrew and Aramaic Yôsēp̄. In Arabic, including in the Qur'an, the name is spelled يوسف or Yūsuf. The name can be translated from Hebrew יהוה להוסיף Yihoh Lhosif as signifying "YHWH...
's Diner
Diner
A diner, also spelled dinor in western Pennsylvania is a prefabricated restaurant building characteristic of North America, especially in the Midwest, in New York City, in Pennsylvania and in New Jersey, and in other areas of the Northeastern United States, although examples can be found throughout...
is a placeholder name
Placeholder name
Placeholder names are words that can refer to objects or people whose names are either temporarily forgotten, irrelevant, or unknown in the context in which they are being discussed...
for a fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al or hypothetical everyman
Everyman
In literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
's restaurant
Restaurant
A restaurant is an establishment which prepares and serves food and drink to customers in return for money. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services...
. Although there are franchises that use the name, its rhetoric
Rhetoric
Rhetoric is the art of discourse, an art that aims to improve the facility of speakers or writers who attempt to inform, persuade, or motivate particular audiences in specific situations. As a subject of formal study and a productive civic practice, rhetoric has played a central role in the Western...
al use is often to describe a small, local business contrasted against large businesses or franchise
Chain store
Chain stores are retail outlets that share a brand and central management, and usually have standardized business methods and practices. These characteristics also apply to chain restaurants and some service-oriented chain businesses. In retail, dining and many service categories, chain businesses...
s. The phrase "Eat at Joe's" is a complementary fictional or hypothetical typical advertisement for such an establishment, and has itself become a snowclone
Snowclone
A snowclone is a type of cliché and phrasal template originally defined as "a multi-use, customizable, instantly recognizable, time-worn, quoted or misquoted phrase or sentence that can be used in an entirely open array of different variants"....
in the form of X at Joe's, Eat at Y's, or simply X at Y's.
In addition to the fictional and hypothetical senses, there are of course many real eating establishments named "Joe's Diner". Some were so named prior to the popularity of the term as a placeholder name, and their existence contributed to the rise of this placeholder name.
A famous example is the Joe's Diner located in Lee, Massachusetts
Lee, Massachusetts
Lee is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts, metropolitan statistical area. The population was 5,943 which was determined in the 2010 census. Lee, which includes the villages of South and East Lee, is part of the Berkshires resort...
, which was the subject of Norman Rockwell
Norman Rockwell
Norman Percevel Rockwell was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life scenarios he created for The Saturday Evening...
's work "The Runaway." The actual Joe of Joe's Diner is the man behind the counter in this classic picture. Others were created after the name became popular for this purpose, and were named to take advantage of the term.
The expression, "Eat at Joe's", was a frequently-used gag in the Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
cartoons during the 1940s, typically used when an image of a neon sign or other complicated tubing would appear. One example occurs in The Great Piggy Bank Robbery
The Great Piggy Bank Robbery
The Great Piggy Bank Robbery is a Warner Brothers Looney Tunes theatrical cartoon short, produced in early 1945, and released in 1946. It was directed by Robert Clampett, and features Daffy Duck in Clampett's penultimate Warner cartoon and final Daffy Duck cartoon, produced shortly before he left...
, in which Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck
Daffy Duck is an animated cartoon character in the Warner Bros. Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of cartoons, often running the gamut between being the best friend and sometimes arch-rival of Bugs Bunny...
faces a host of dangerous characters, subduing them all, the final one being "Neon Noodle", whom he quickly twists into the shape of an "Eat at Joe's" neon sign, with a triumphant cry of "Tah-dah!" In another example, "Super-Rabbit
Super-Rabbit
Super-Rabbit is a Merrie Melodies cartoon starring Bugs Bunny who is parodying the popular character Superman. It was released to theaters on April 3, 1943.-Plot:...
", the scientist's laboratory shows liquid flowing through tubing, which at one point takes the shape of the sign. In another such gag, a bear carries a sign that said "Eat at Joe's" through an entire episode, eventually going into the Joe's Diner followed by other. After a ruckus, Joe (the bear) comes out with a new sign that says "I'm Joe"; after which, an X-ray view of the bear's stomach show the other two characters, one of which holds up a sign that says "Don't Eat at Joe's".
Another cartoon, a joke-laden cruise, mentions the actual Sloppy Joe's
Sloppy Joe's
Sloppy Joe's Bar is a historic U.S. bar in Key West, Florida. It is now located on the north side of Duval Street at the corner of Greene Street, ....
Restaurant rather than using the generic "Eat at Joe's" gag.
Examples
- Carrie Bickner, Web Design on a Shoestring (2003) p. 34.
- I don't care whether you are working in Joe's Diner or at The Four Seasons; your customer should never have to give your service enough thought to evaluate it.
- Clayton W. Barrows, Thomas F. Powers, Jo Marie Powers, Introduction to the Hospitality Industry, Fifth Edition and NRAEF Workbook Package (2002) p. 148.
- In the hamburger segment, for instance, competition had gone from Joe's Diner versus McDonald's to McDonald's versus Burger King versus Wendy's versus Hardee's.
- John G. KoeltlJohn G. KoeltlJohn George Koeltl is a judge of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York in Manhattan.-Education:Koeltl graduated from Regis High School in New York City in 1963...
, John S. Kiernan, The Litigation Manual (1999) p. 163.- If you are trying a case in an unfamiliar jurisdiction, arrive a few days early. Walk around town. Get a haircut at the local barbershop. Grab a burger at Joe's Diner.
- John B. Caouette, Edward I. Altman, Paul Narayanan, Managing Credit Risk: The Next Great Financial Challenge (1998) p. 88.
- You cannot use the same traditional credit analysis for evaluating Kellogg's and Joe's Diner.
- Fred Steingold, Legal Master Guide for Small Business (1983) p. 206.
- Whether your business is called "Exxon" or "Joe's Diner," the name is a valuable asset.