Tall City (Midland nickname)
The city of Midland in West Texas has been called the "Tall City" because of the tall buildings in its central business district. Midland (midway between Fort Worth and El Paso) was a…
Baylor Bubble
"Baylor Bubble" is a term used at Baylor University in Waco since at least 1980. The "Baylor bubble" refers to Baylor's beautiful campus and many undergraduates from…
“Fried catfish is the other white meat”
"The Other White Meat" is a promotion by the National Pork Producers, trademarked from November 1986. "Red meat" had received bad publicity in the 1980s, and chicken…
Devil’s Backbone
"Devil's Backbone" (or "Devil's Back Bone") is one of the most scenic drives in Texas, a loop through Texas Hill Country from Wimberley to Blanco. The route along…
Southworst (for “southwest”)
"Southworst" is a derogatory term for "southwest." Southwest Airlines (based in Dallas) was nicknamed "Southworst" by at least 1991. The former Southwest Conference…
Southwaste (for “southwest”)
"Southworst" is a derogatory term for "southwest." Southwest Airlines (based in Dallas) was nicknamed "Southworst" by at least 1991. The former Southwest Conference…
Saigon (Seguin nickname)
Sequin is a city in Guadalupe County, Texas; Saigon was the capital of war-torn South Vietnam that was renamed Ho Chi Minh City in 1975 (although the name "Saigon" is still used today by…
Triple Bypass Tour (Lockhart’s Black’s Barbecue, Kreuz Barbecue, Smitty’s Market)
The city of Lockhart has been called the "Barbecue Capital of Texas" by the Texas state legislature (1999). A tour of three of Lockhart's great barbecue places -- Black's…
Sinkhole de Mayo (May 2008 sinkhole in Daisetta)
A huge sinkhole was discovered in Daisetta (Liberty County) on May 8, 2008. Although the sinkhole was not discovered on May 5th --
Lone Star Series (Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers)
Inter-league baseball play began in 2001 and the National League Houston Astros faced the American League Texas Rangers in the first-ever "Lone Star Series" (also called "Lone Star…
Roller Coaster
Coney Island has long been famous for its Cyclone roller coaster, first opened in 1927. America's first popular "roller coaster" amusement ride has long been thought to have been the…
Three Sisters or Twisted Sisters or 100-Mile Loop (RR335, RR336, RR337)
Texas Hill Country Ranch Roads 335, 336, and 337 have long been called the "100-mile loop" by motorcycle drivers. That wasn't exciting enough for T-shirts and newspaper articles,…
SoSo (South of Southtown, San Antonio)
"SoSo" is the "south of Southtown" neighborhood of San Antonio. The neighborhood nickname -- like so many others -- is inspired by New York City's 1960s-era neighborhood…
Osgood Pie (Oh-So-Good Pie; Allgood Pie)
The "Osgood pie" is something of a naming mystery. Most all of the evidence indicates that there was no one person named Osgood, but that the original name was "Oh-so-good pie"…
SoFlo (South Flores Street, San Antonio)
The South Flores Street area of San Antonio was composed of many large, underutilized industrial-type buildings. Like the SoHo (South of Houston Street) area of New York City, artists began to…
NoDo (Houston’s North of Downtown area)
"NoDo" (north of downtown) is a neighborhood nickname (like New York City's "SoHo" for "South of Houston Street") first used in Denver, Colorado, dating from…
Juice Box (Minute Maid Park nickname)
"Juice Box" is the nickname of Houston's Minute Maid Park, home of baseball's Houston Astros. The hitter-friendly park was called Enron Field when it opened in 2000, but was…
“World’s Greatest Hamburgers” (Fuddruckers slogan)
Fuddruckers is a chain of hamburger restaurants that started in San Antonio in 1980. The hamburgers (1/2 pound of beef) are large, and there is a fixins bar for customers to dress their burgers.…
“We Buy Ugly Houses” (HomeVestors slogan)
"We Buy Ugly Houses" is the slogan (since 2000) of HomeVestors, a Dallas-based real estate franchise that began in 1989. HomeVestors buys "ugly" houses (i.e., houses that…
Crazy Rasberry Ant (Rasberry Ant; Crazy Ant; Caribbean Crazy Ant)
Tom Rasberry, owner of Budget Pest Control in the Pearland area (near Houston), discovered an ant in 2002 that didn't appear to be like the fire ants typically found in Texas. This ant does…