An etymological dictionary

Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.

Calf Fries

Calf fries are calf testicles, deep-fried. There are many other names for "calf testicles," including "(Rocky) mountain oysters" or "prairie oysters." "Calf…

Honorary Texan

"Honorary Texan" appears on gift items at many Texas tourist shops. It's often a joke item, bestowed on a person who was (unfortunately for him or her) not born in the state of…

“On this site in 1897, nothing happened”

There are plaques and historical markers on many old places that explain the historical significance, but a parody of this is the sign: "On this site in 1897, nothing happened." It is not…

Lene Town (Abilene nickname)

"Lene Town" is a hip-hop nickname for the city of Abilene. There is a "Lene Town" music label in Abilene, and some recordings mention "Lene Town" in either the title…

Flaquita (Flaco; Flaquities)

"Flaquita" (from the word "flaco") is Spanish for "little skinny one." It is the opposite of the "gordita," or "little fat one." Trudy's…

Texartini (cocktail)

The Iguana Grill on Lake Travis in Austin, Texas, has a drink called the "Texartini." The Iguana Grill doesn't state the Texartini's ingredients, but provides a fictitious…

Baleada (Honduran burrito)

"Baleadas" are a Honduran version of "burritos." A wheat flour tortilla is folded in half and filled with beans, crumbled cheese and sour cream, and often with other ingredients…

DoBro (Downtown Brooklyn)

"DoBro" is a neighborhood nickname for "Downtown Brooklyn." The nickname has been used in the Brooklyn Downtown Star since at least February 2006. Brooklyn Downtown StarDateline…

Dyke Slope (Park Slope, Brooklyn)

Park Slope in Brooklyn was a blighted area in the 1970s, but in the late 1980s and 1990s, people began migrating to the area as a cheaper alternative to Manhattan. Many lesbians came to Park Slope…

Mexican Roadblock (Mexican Road Block)

A "Mexican roadblock" (or "Mexican road block") is when two cars travel at the same speed on both lanes of a two-lane highway (or three cars on a three-lane highway, etc.). This…

Kicker (Shit-kicker or Shitkicker)

Entry in Progress -- B.P. Urban Dictionary1. KickerAnother term for a hick or a redneck. The term is usually used for high school guys. They tend to wear their Wranglers inside their boots and they…

Texas Eggs Benedict (Tex-Mex Eggs Benedict)

"Eggs Benedict" is a classic dish of poached eggs placed on a slice of ham on an English muffin, with a covering of hollandaise sauce. "Texas Eggs Benedict" ("Tex-Mex Eggs…

Salt Water Taffy

"Salt water taffy" supposedly originated by accident in Atlantic City, New Jersey in 1883. Salt water taffy was served at other seaside places (such as Coney Island), but it remains an…