See Texas First (See America First)
"See Texas First" is a travel insert in Texas newspapers that's published in the spring and the fall each year, sponsored by the Texas Travel Industry Association. The phrase is…
“TCU is like a cockroach” (UT football coach Darrell K. Royal)
In 2007, the University of Texas put Texas Christian University back on its football schedule and the old "cockroach quote" surfaced. In 1961, TCU upset #1-ranked Texas 6-0. In 1962, UT…
“You can board a train at dawn and, twenty-four hours later, still be in Texas”
"You can board a train at dawn and, twenty-four hours later, still be in Texas" was made into a popular joke in the 1930s and 1940s. 14 October 1931, Middlesboro (KY) Daily News, pg. 2,…
“Bring it on!” (“Bring ‘em on!”)
"Bring it on!" is so common that no definitive origin can be traced. On the American Dialect Society list, word researcher Grant Barrett wrote: "I've checked the usual places,…
“Hair, Horns and Holler” (ingredients of a cowboy stew)
What are the ingredients of the famous "son-of-a-bitch" stew? According to some sources, the ingredients are "hair, horns, and holler." The term is sometimes given as…
County Attorney or District Attorney (son-of-a-gun stew)
"County Attorney" and "District Attorney" are names that were applied to "son-of-a-gun stew." Attorneys weren't held in high regard by the cowboys who made and…
Texas Mile (country mile)
A "Texas mile" is similar to a "country mile" -- it's a long distance. Texas is big, so a "Texas mile" would be something longer than your average mile.…
Shootout (an athletic competition, such as the “Red River Shootout”)
The wild west had many "shoot-outs" (or "shootouts"). From about the 1960s, athletic competitions (mostly football games) began to be called "shootouts." The annual…
“You can trust your car to the man who wears the star” (Texaco ad jingle)
"You can trust your car to the man who wears the star" has been Texaco's advertising jingle from 1962 (not the 1940s, as incorrectly listed on some websites). The Texaco advertising…
“An atheist is a man who buys a ticket to the Notre Dame-SMU game and doesn’t care who wins”
SMU and Notre Dame both had great football teams in the 1950s, and both are Christian-based universities. A famous quip became: "An atheist is a man who buys a ticket to the Notre Dame-SMU…
“Ingredients for Life” & “Your Remarkable Store” (Randalls slogans)
Randalls is a Texas-based food and drug store chain. Randalls joined the Safeway chain of supermarkets in 1999; since 2005, the slogan of both companies has been "Ingredients for Life."…
Treaty Oak (of Austin)
Is the "Treaty Oak" of Austin fact or fiction? The Treaty Oak is located in Austin in a city park of Baylor Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Streets. The tree is believed to be more than…
“HI, HOW ARE YOU” (Daniel Johnston artwork)
"HI, HOW ARE YOU" was a music cassette released by Austin-based artist Daniel Johnston in 1983. In 1994, Johnston painted a space frog-like design (the animal has been called…
Texification/Texify (Texafication/Texafy)
"Texification" is the Texas answer, perhaps, to the the word "Californication." When George W. Bush became president, several people commented that the United States was…
Houston Roll (sushi)
Various Japanese restaurants in Houston and throughout the country have offered sushi called a "Houston Roll." The ingredients are not standard, but it most popularly includes tuna, cream…
“Change planes in Dallas” (where a Texan going to heaven or hell goes first)
The Dallas-Fort Worth airport is a Texas hub. It's been said that if you're going to heaven or going to hell, you'll still have to change planes in Dallas. The joke has been current…
Batini (official Austin cocktail)
The "Batini" (a blend of "bat" + "martini," although the drink contains no bats or gin or vermouth) is the official drink of Austin, Texas. In 2004, the Austin…
Cosmic Cowboy (cocktail and song)
"Cosmic Cowboy" is the name of a song by then Austin-based musician Michael (Martin) Murphey in 1973; the song was recorded in 1974 by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band. In 2007, the…
Jezebel Sauce
Jezebel sauce is a spicy sauce (like Jezebel herself) that contains pineapple preserves, apple jelly, horseradish, and mustard. The Jezebel sauce (or glaze) is often served over ham. A Southern…
Hick Hop
"Hick hop" is a combination of country music and hip-hop. It also goes by the names for country-hip hop, country-rap, hill hop, and hip hopry. Cowboy Troy (of Victoria and Dallas, Texas)…