No way, Jose


What's the meaning of the phrase 'No way Jose'?

Absolutely not; never.

What's the origin of the phrase 'No way Jose'?

This slang expression originated in America sometime around the 1960s. In Chapman and Kipfer’s Dictionary of American Slang ‘no way’ is listed as a 1960s phrase and ‘no way Jose’ as originating in Village Voice. Unfortunately, they don’t present any other details so I can’t check that assertion. The first verified citation I’ve found is from The Washington Post, December 1979:

“I’ve got nothing against robots. But no way, Jose, is this guy going to win.”

Why Jose? There’s no reason to think that Jose was an actual person. The name was probably chosen for the rhyme with ‘no way’, which pre-dates the longer phrase.

Trend of no way in printed material over time

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
No way, Jose

Phrases & Meanings

A-Z

Categories

How did we do?

Have you spotted something that needs updated on this page? We review all feedback we receive to ensure that we provide the most accurate and up to date information on phrases.