Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. a fit of depression.

1910		L. Esson Woman Tamer in Ballades of Old Bohemia (1980) 63: You give a man the joes.
1914		C.J. Dennis ‘The Play’ in Bulletin (Sydney) 16 July 47/1: They smooge some more at that. Ar, strike me blue! / It gimme Joes to sit an’ watch them two!
1916		C.J. Dennis ‘War’ in Moods of Ginger Mick 25: I tumbles that ’e’s got the joes reel bad.
1944		P. Kendall Dict. Service Sl. n.p.: joes . . . blues.
1948		Smith’s Wkly (Sydney) 25 Dec. 6/5: [T]he Demon King [was] padding around Martin Place with the Joes.
1955		N. Pulliam I Travelled a Lonely Land (1957) 139: You’ve been to Can’bra, haven’t you? [...] Give a bloke the joes, my word it would.
1985		B. Humphries Traveller’s Tool 41: That word ‘relationship’ gives me the Joes.
2003		McGill Reed Dict. of N.Z. Sl. 117: joes, the Depression or nerviness, ANZ early C20.

2. an attack of nerves.

1914		Bulletin (Sydney) 10 Sept. 47/2: Fall in, you coves! The bugles call! / Fall in and march with me! [...] Buck in and give them all [i.e. the German enemy] the joes / While we look after Jane!
1919		E. Dyson ‘Peace, Blessed Peace’ in ‘Hello, Soldier!’ 52: Me oath, the mess of stuff and blood / Would give a slaughterman the joes!