Meaning
What does No Way Jose mean?
No way Jose is a funny way to say: no way, no chance. By using the expression, you can express your negligence towards a request or a statement.
The saying also conveys humorous connotations, since “no way” and “Jose” are a pair of rhymes.
However, it is not appropriate to use the expression in professional or public environments.
Origin
What's the origin of No Way Jose?
The expression is thought to have originated from the United States, born around the 1960s.
In the 60s, “no way” was a very popular saying, and by the end of the decade “Jose” was added as a rhyme, possibly because of Mexican influence.
The first record of the term appearing in printed form traces back to a 1979 release of the Washington Post.
Spread & Usage
How did No Way Jose spread?
During the 70s and 80s, the expression saw an extended use in public lingo.
As an example, the hit latin-electronic song “Tequila”, released in 1985, was produced by a band under the name No Way Jose.
In the 21st century, the expression appeared on various internet memes.
However, during the 2010s, people started to be more conscious and sensitive towards racial slurs and terms that feature ethnicities.
This caused no way Jose to almost completely disappear from the Internet, and is only used occasionally in conversations.