[ti:A Cup of Joe With Average Joes and Plain Janes] [ar:Faith Lapidus] [al:Words and Their Stories] [by:www.51voa.com] [00:00.00]Now, the VOA Special English program Words and Their Stories. [00:17.14]A person's name is very important. [00:21.45]Some names also have special meanings [00:24.99]in popular American expressions. [00:27.63]To better understand what I mean, [00:31.07]sit back and listen. [00:32.86]You might even want to get a cup of Joe -- [00:36.47]I mean, a cup of coffee. [00:39.25]One day, an Average Joe was walking down the street. [00:45.18]An Average Joe is a common person -- [00:48.63]either male or female. [00:50.87]This Average Joe was lost. [00:54.48]He did not know Jack about where he was going. [00:59.07]By this, I mean he did not know anything [01:03.61]about where to find things in the city. [01:06.56]So Average Joe asked John Q. Public [01:11.90]for directions to the nearest bank. [01:14.59]John Q. Public is also a common person -- male or female. [01:20.57]"Jeez Louise," said John Q. Public -- [01:24.75]this is an expression of surprise -- [01:27.24]"Jeez Louise, don't you know that [01:30.98]all banks are closed today? It is Saturday." [01:36.70]"For Pete's sake," said Average Joe -- [01:40.90]this is also an expression [01:44.08]used to show a feeling like surprise or disappointment. [01:47.84]"For Pete's sake. [01:49.79]I do not believe you," said Average Joe. [01:52.98]He was being a doubting Thomas -- [01:57.10]someone who does not believe anything he is told. [02:00.59]At that moment, [02:03.05]Joe Blow was walking down the street with a woman. [02:07.74]"Joe Blow" is also an expression for a common man. [02:12.61]Now this Joe Blow was not walking next to a plain Jane. [02:19.09]A plain Jane is a woman who is neither ugly nor pretty -- [02:25.17]she is simply plain. [02:27.65]No, the woman with Joe Blow was a real Sheila -- [02:32.99]a beautiful woman. [02:34.83]Average Joe asked the woman [02:38.80]if all banks were closed on Saturday. [02:42.05]"No way, Jose," she answered -- [02:44.91]this is a way of saying "no" -- [02:47.56]"No way, Jose. Many banks are open on Saturdays." [02:52.38]Average Joe did not know either of these two people from Adam -- [02:59.06]that is, he did not know them at all. [03:02.46]But he followed their directions to the nearest bank. [03:06.70]When he arrived, [03:09.93]he walked to the desk of the chief bank employee. [03:14.02]Now this man was a true Jack of all trades -- [03:18.80]he knew how to do everything. [03:22.59]"I am here to withdraw some money [03:26.52]so I can pay my taxes to Uncle Sam," said average Joe. [03:31.52]"Uncle Sam" represents the United States government. [03:35.94]The banker produced some papers and told Average Joe [03:41.37]to sign his John Hancock at the bottom. [03:44.95]A "John Hancock" is a person's signed name -- a signature. [03:50.84]Historically, John Hancock was one of the signers [03:56.06]of the United States Declaration of Independence. [03:59.96]Hancock had a beautiful signature [04:03.60]and signed his name larger than all the others. [04:07.92]As Average Joe left the bank he began to sing. [04:13.75]But sadly, Average Joe was not a good singer. [04:18.99]He was a Johnny One Note -- he could only sing one note. [04:26.51]This VOA Special English program, [04:40.60]WORDS AND THEIR STORIES, [04:42.83]was written by Jill Moss. I'm Faith Lapidus.