Best Response to "Hey Joe"

Last activity 12 July 2022 by Enzyte Bob

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Moon DogPhilippines Advisor11 July 2022 10:16:50

932

I get a lot of "hey Joe" from youngsters and teenagers. It doesn't bother me but I like to have a snappy comeback. My usual response is "How did you know my name's Joe?" or "Hey Pedro". Anyone have a better one?

Cherryann01ViP11 July 2022 10:41:44

1066

@Moon Dog Never had that in the UK, I get love, duck, Hun, young fellow, mate but never Joe. None of it bothers me much, although I do wonder why some guys younger than me call me young fellow or youngster. If a youngster over here called me Joe I would probably just say to him, cheers and call him by an old unfashionable name (so cheers Bert or Albert).

PuddmanMember11 July 2022 12:13:42

@Moon Dog

I usually respond with "hey Juan" or "hey Juanita".

They respond with, "my name isn't Juan", then the comeback is, "my name isn't Joe"

Same goes for the Juanita version.

Works for me.

Puddman

Timo62Active member11 July 2022 12:13:44

@Moon Dog Keep it friendly. Just smile and wave.

Enzyte BobViP11 July 2022 12:23:03

3514

I get a lot of "hey Joe" from youngsters and teenagers. It doesn't bother me but I like to have a snappy comeback. My usual response is "How did you know my name's Joe?" or "Hey Pedro". Anyone have a better one?
- @Moon Dog

No snappy idea of a comeback from me, but it is a "term of endearment", it goes back to WW II, . . . . .G.I.Joe

I think a return smile will do the trick . . . .

pnwcyclistPhilippines Expert11 July 2022 14:02:38

1414

I get that a lot when out cycling. I take it as a friendly gesture and just smile and wave.

Lost in FijiActive member11 July 2022 14:28:27

Believe they're often being Phils-friendly, so I smile and say, "musta amigo"

But a whitey mate has a different idea. He's decided to use the term himself.

He uses it as more of a joke, really. He relates it all started when one day he was walking down the street, and saw a foreigner walking down the other side. And, all of a sudden, for no reason, he yelled out to the guy, “Hey, Joe!” The guy looked over, and apparently you could see the absolute shock on his face that another foreigner had said “Hey, Joe” to him.

He broke out laughing, and the other foreigner had a big grin on his face too. So, now, not always, but fairly often, if he sees a foreigner that he doesn’t know, he'll say "Hey, Joe” and it kind of breaks the ice. I think that quite a few of us whiteys don't much like being called “Joe” that when another foreigner calls them by the name, it kind of jolts them a bit, and they see the humor in it. He says it gives both of them a bit of a kick and so now, sometimes, they will even get to talking.

It also softens the feeling when Filipinos yell it out to us, that we can do it also.

kristopherryanwatsonPhilippines Advisor11 July 2022 15:44:31

419

@Moon Dog

I get a lot of that too , from young kids and teenagers as well as older people just the same.
I suppose i'm mildly offended by that because I'm Canadian.....NOT American. so i respond back with "Hey Monkey!"

I also get "hey man, wuzzzap" , from the little wannabe thugs. its fine with me. to which i am happy to give a couple of spare pesos.

mrlugubriousMember11 July 2022 16:31:24

@Moon Dog

The term 'Hey Joe', is leftover from WWII. G. I. Joe...AKA Government Issue Joe. So, a snappy comeback should retain the root of the phrase IMHO...

mrlugubriousMember11 July 2022 16:33:47

#10

@Puddman

Argumentative, and out of the smiling spirit of the average Filipino's..

mrlugubriousMember11 July 2022 16:35:46

#11

@kristopherryanwatson

Wow..

Good luck Joe..

tpiroSerial expat11 July 2022 17:14:27

#12

274

@Enzyte Bob I believe ur right about that Spence... WWII everyone was Joe.. right?

Lotus EaterViP11 July 2022 20:21:44

#13

1463

In the UK during WW11 there was a fair bit of friendly rivalry between the G.I. Joes and the British forces specifically because English women were attracted to them if only because they had a ready supply of nylons and cigarettes and were better paid than their Brirish counterparts.

A British comic came up with the phrase 'Oversexed,overpaid and over here' to which the Americans reposte to the Brits was 'underpaid, undersexed and under Eisenhower' LOL

Interestingly in Asia foreigners for example In Thailand are referred to as 'Farangs' in Indonesia 'Bulé'(the e is stretched hence the accent) but in the Philippines just ...foreigner

davidseamanMember12 July 2022 00:43:41

#14

As a English man who's been living here for 6 years l get that all the time, l just wave and smile.

Moon DogPhilippines Advisor12 July 2022 01:59:21

#15

932

I heard it a lot when I was in the Army serving overseas but this is the first time I've heard it used to greet a civilian. Some kids at the local waterfall park shouted "hey Joe" as I was walking past on the bamboo walkway and I said "how did you know my name was Joe?" There was some confused stares from the kids but the adults had a good laugh.

In 2015 a dog came out of the swamp in Georgia and hung around our house. She was a sweet dog but a real mess. We let her sleep on our porch, gave her food and ended up adopting her. My wife started calling her Tikla so I asked why Tikla and she said it was a nickname for unattractive girls she heard in school. She says Pedro was the nickname she heard for unattractive boys so I used "hey Pedro" a couple times.

Tikla wasn't a bad looking dog once we cleaned her up and had her groomed. Tikla is here with us in the Philippines. It cost over $6,000 to bring her but we couldn't leave her behind. She turned out to the best and smartest dog I've ever owned.

kristopherryanwatsonPhilippines Advisor12 July 2022 04:17:04

#16

419

@mrlugubrious

no luck needed, i do just fine. but thanks for your offer.

pnwcyclistPhilippines Expert12 July 2022 11:16:50

#17

1414

@Moon Dog

I get a lot of that too , from young kids and teenagers as well as older people just the same.
I suppose i'm mildly offended by that because I'm Canadian.....NOT American. so i respond back with "Hey Monkey!"

- @kristopherryanwatson

I hope you’re not serious. That is a very offensive response to what is usually intended as a friendly greeting.

If you were just joking, I apologize in advance.

kristopherryanwatsonPhilippines Advisor12 July 2022 12:04:32

#18

419

@pnwcyclist

yes...i am very much just joking.

GoDeesSerial expat12 July 2022 12:31:44

#19

216

As " hey Joe" is very american, I reply "No way Jose, Aussie, Hoi, Hoi ,Hoi". Most responses are a thumbs up and a big smile.

It is a friendly greeting to foreigners and should be taken as such..

pnwcyclistPhilippines Expert12 July 2022 12:48:48

#20

1414

@pnwcyclist

yes...i am very much just joking.
- @kristopherryanwatson

Based on your other posts I thought so.. thanks for clarifying.

Enzyte BobViP12 July 2022 12:48:52

#21

3514

I think the Hey Joe is a habit, as Filipino's have probably hearing and seeing this all their life. Hey Joe is probably directed at anyone who is not Asian and probably white.

Now on the opposite, from time to time when another Expat looking white man see's me, on occasion if they great me, they ask where I'm from.

Side note: When living in Las Vegas, when meeting someone, they will ask where are you from? It seems no adult was born in Las Vegas, seemed everyone had moved to Las Vegas.

At the time I moved there, 1,000 people a week was moving to Vegas. Vegas at one time was the fastest growing city in the US for 10 years straight until the financial crisis of 2008.

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