Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.
In the 1960s and 1970s, the area of Eighth Avenue between the Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd Street) and 59th Street became overrun with teenage prostitutes from the Midwest and was dubbed the…
John Steinbeck traveled across America in 1960 with his dog Charley; he wrote about it in his book, Travels with Charley: In Search of America (1962). Steinbeck didn't much care for Texas, but…
Perryton (in Ochiltree County) was a leading wheat producer, and in 1947 it held the title "Wheatheart of the Nation." ("Wheatheart of the Plains" is also used.) An annual…
Houston is often called "the Bayou City" because of its historic location on the Buffalo Bayou. Short-story writer O. Henry (1852-1910) -- who lived in Texas as well as New York City --…
The city of Houston was planned in 1836, named after war hero Sam Houston. The nickname "Bayou City" comes from Houston's location on the Buffalo Bayou, and is recorded in print from…
After Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans in 2005, several commentators nicknamed that city "Baghdad-on-the-Bayou." The comparison was with Baghdad, Iraq, where a war was…
Many towns in Texas claimed to be the roughest and the toughest in all Texas. For many reasons, the slogan "Toughest Town in Texas" stuck the most to Luling. The slogan is historical and…
Paris, Texas has advertised that it is the "Second Biggest Paris in the World" (or "Second Largest Paris in the World") to Paris, France. Wikipedia: Paris, TexasParis is a city…
"Border Burger" has a nice ring to it, but it's also called a "South of the Border Burger" ("SOB" Burger) or a "Tex-Mex Burger." The hamburger sandwich…
"Honk if you love Jesus" was a popular bumper sticker saying from 1971. The bumper sticker spawned lots of other "Honk if you..." imitations, but one notable "Honk if…
"Fellow-countrymen, follow me to yonder saloon!" is said to be the shortest speech ever given by a Texas politician. A Kinky Friedman book declared this to be one of "actual quotes…
Texas coleslaw (or "cole slaw") is a popular side dish for a Texas barbecue. Coleslaw is a cabbage salad, but a "Texas coleslaw" applies some heat to this by adding dry mustard…
Beer bread is a German tradition, usually made with rye bread. Texas has large German influences, so it's no surprise that beer bread has become a large part of Texas cuisine. Until the 1970s,…
"Kerrvert" (sometimes lower-case as "kerrvert," and also sometimes "Kervert," like "pervert") is a Kerrville resident or an enthusiast of the Kerrville Folk…
RAMBO (Right After the Manhattan Bridge Overpass) is similar to DUMBO (Down Under the Manhattan Bridge Overpass). In 2005, RAMBO (suggested by Heath Binder and Adam Wills) won a Curbed.com…
Bay Ridge, Brooklyn has had two nicknames in recent years, both playing with its official name. Bay Ridge has been called "Bar Ridge" because of its many bars on Third Avenue and Fifth…
"Donkey Tails" achieved some popularity in 2006, when they were served at the Texas State Fair and at Tolbert's Restaurant in Grapevine (near Dallas). The dish -- containing no…
"Texas bubble gum machine" was a description of a police car in the popular movie Smokey and the Bandit (1977). The term seems not to be used anywhere else. Urban DictionaryTexas Bubble…
According to the joke, the difference between a "fairy tale" and a "Texas fairy tale" is how it begins. A fairy tale begins "Once upon a time..." A Texas fairy tale…
Fire departments have their false alarms, two-alarm fires, three-alarm fires, etc. This alarm system to describe the hotness of chili was first used by Wick Fowler, Dallas newspaperman and chili…