Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases.
"Thermopylae had her messenger of defeat, but the Alamo had none." The comparison of the events of the Alamo (1836) to the Battle of Thermopylae (480 B.C.) occurred as early as 1836. This…
The La Grange, Texas "chicken ranch" was a house of prostitution since about the 1840s; it closed in 1973. The story was fictionalized into the 1978 Broadway musical and 1982 movie…
"Armadillo Droppings" is the name of a praline candy from the Armadillo Candy Co. Lammes Candies has "Choc'Adillos" made from almonds, but "Armadillo Droppings"…
"I'm from Texas. What country are you from?" has appeared on bumper stickers since the 1990s. Texas used to be a country; some people believe it still is. StickerZombie.comI'M…
There is no one drink recipe for "Texas Punch" that can be called standard. There exists also a "Lone Star Punch," made with Lone Star Beer. Cooks.comTEXAS PUNCH 4 c. sugar6 c.…
Lone Star Punch is an original concoction of Hill Country, a barbecue restaurant located on West 26th Street in New York City. Lone Star Punch contains Lone Star Beer and vodka, plus lemon juice…
World War II General George S. Patton is often quoted as saying: "Give me an army of West Point graduates, and I'll win a battle. Give me a handful of Texas Aggies, and I'll win a…
There are several recipes for "Texas quiche," but no recipe appears to be standard. Some recipes add chili peppers; others use simply a deeper pie dish. Cooks.comTEXAS QUICHE 1 can…
The Austin Land & Cattle Company restaurant tells its customers: "Bon Appetex!" This Texas version of "bon appétit" hasn't spread to other Texas restaurants, however.…
A sandstorm (or dust storm) has been called "West Texas rain." The humorous bit of slang is not based on fact; it rains in West Texas much more often than you'll see a sandstorm.…
"Everybody invited and nobody slighted!" is the old-time invitation to a country dance. The phrase's origin is unknown, but it's been in use since at least the 1920s. 14 July…
It's cold up north in Amarillo, but "There's nothing between Amarillo and the North Pole except a barbed wire fence" is an exaggeration. The saying was considered old as early…
Rosemary Kent (author of the 1981 book The Genuine Texas Handbook) has been quoted as saying that Texans barbecue "everything except ice cream." It's not known where this phrase…
There are legal executions of criminals in Texas. Some people have used the term "Texecution" ("Texas" + "execution") or "Texecuted" ("Texas" +…
"If it grows, it will stick you; if it crawls, it will bite you" has appeared on internet joke lists from the early 2000s. The saying is attributed to the Texas way of life, but the…
"Longhorns" is the trademarked name of the chocolate, pecan and caramel candies by Lammes Candies. Lammes has been around since 1885; Longhorns were trademarked from since 1984.…
"I don't care if it harelips the governor" (or "hare-lips the governor") means the same as "come hell or high water." The phrase (also popularly used in to…
Austin has been called the Live Music Capital of the World. It's been said that "you can't swing a dead cat in Austin without hitting a musician." "Swing a dead cat"…
Brooklyn has been called the "borough that's thorough" in hip hop. The nickname is seldom used. About MBHailing from the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, MBF hopes to…
Texas is known for chicken fried steak, but chicken fried bacon? Why not? The dish (served with cream gravy) was created in the 1990s by Frank Sodolak and is served at Sodolak's Original…