Sloppy Joe

or sloppy Joe

noun

1. a sandwich of ground beef cooked in a spicy tomato or barbecue sauce and usually served on a bun.
2. a baggy, overlarge sweater originally worn by girls and young women in the 1940s.
3. a man or youth whose appearance is habitually slovenly.

sloppy joe

/ dʒəʊ /

noun

1. informal.
   a long baggy thin sweater

Word History and Origins

Origin of Sloppy Joe¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

This would be the year I would scratch that itch — the 42nd contest, scheduled for July 19-22 at Sloppy Joe’s.

From Washington Times

Gerrit Marshall, a retired television broadcast engineer from Madison, prevailed Saturday night at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, a frequent hangout of Ernest Hemingway when he lived in Key West during the 1930s.

From Seattle Times

The three-night look-alike competition is held at Sloppy Joe’s Bar, where Hemingway often spent time with local and literary friends.

From Seattle Times

She created her own recipe for it and even nicknamed the dish a Bombay Sloppy Joe.

From Washington Post

He ordered a Sloppy Joe and told me that a young Latino man, a former gang member, had spoken at the service.

From Los Angeles Times