Tropical Playground of Texas (Harlingen nickname)
The city of Harlingen in the lower Rio Grande Valley has been promoted as the "Tropical Playground of Texas." There are sub-tropical temperatures most of the year, palm trees and…
City of Palms (McAllen nickname)
McAllen in South Texas has been called the "City of Palms" since the 1920s. Ancient Jericho was called "City of Palms," and Miami (FL) was called "City of Palms and…
Longest Main Street in the World (Highway 83, through Rio Grande Valley)
Highway 83 through the Rio Grande Valley has been described as "the longest main street in the world" since at least 1929. It continues about 100 miles from Rio Grande City until the…
Rompope (Mexican eggnog)
Rompope ("rohm-POH-pay") is frequently called "Mexican eggnog." It usually contains eggs, milk, vanilla flavoring and rum. Rumpope was first made at a convent in Puebla, Mexico…
Land of the High Sky (Midland nickname)
Author John Howard Griffin called Midland, Texas "Land of the High Sky" in his 1959 history of that name, commissioned by the First National Bank of Midland. The name is sometimes used…
Magic Valley (Lower Rio Grande Valley nickname)
The Lower Rio Grande Valley area of Texas has been called "Magic Valley" since at least 1916. Irrigation of the valley began just before 1900; the results caused promoters to call it a…
Japs (short for “jalapeños”)
The jalapeño is an official state pepper of Texas. The abbreviated name for the jalapeño is not "jal" or "hal" (as it would be pronounced) or even "hap," but…
Enchilada Soup (Chicken Enchilada Soup)
"Enchilada soup" is a recent addition to the Tex-Mex cuisine. The soup is not known in Mexico, where "tortilla soup" is popular. In 1995, the restaurant chain Chili's…
Peacemaker or La Mediatrice (oyster loaf)
New Orleans was famous for its oyster loaf in the 19th century. When husbands came home late in New Orleans, they were sure to bring with them a "peacemaker" or "la mediatrice"…
Big Orange (Tel Aviv, Israel nickname)
Tel Aviv (Israel's commercial center) is often compared to New York City. Jaffa (now part of Tel Aviv) has long been famous for the Jaffa orange. Tel Aviv has called itself "the Big…
Cajun Egg Rolls (Cajun Eggrolls)
"Cajun egg rolls" (or "Cajun eggrolls") are a little different from Chinese-American egg rolls or Southwestern eggrolls. The ingredients vary, but the egg roll can include…
Bull Dozers or Bulldozers (similar to Southwestern Eggrolls)
"Bull Dozers" are similar to Chili's popular Southwestern Eggrolls and were developed about the same time in the 1990s. San Antonio's Bullpeppers Olde Town Cafe opened in 1999…
Southwestern Egg Rolls (Southwestern Eggrolls; Southwest Egg Rolls)
"Southwestern egg rolls" (or "Southwestern eggrolls" or "Southwest egg rolls") are different from the popular Chinese-American egg rolls. Wrapped in tortillas are…
Cowtown Wolf Turds (bacon-wrapped stuffed jalapeños)
"Cowtown Wolf Turds" are hollowed-out jalapeños stuffed with cream cheese ("Armadillo Eggs") wrapped in bacon, with a smoked sausage added in the middle. They were named…
Santa Fe Salad
What is a "Santa Fe salad" and how is it different from a "Southwest salad"? Is it simply called a "Southwest Salad" if you walk into McDonald's and a "Santa…
“Cowgirls Rule” (from earlier “Girls Rule, Boys Drool”)
"Cowgirls rule!" appears frequently on T-shirts for girls, especially young girls. This saying is seemingly taken from the earlier and slightly longer "Girls rule, boys drool"…
“Second toughest job in America” (NYC mayor)
In running for re-election in 1969, New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay admitted that he'd made some mistakes, but that he had "the second hardest job in America," and had done an…
Texasing (“Texas” as a verb)
"Texasing" is a use of "Texas" as a verb. When President George W. Bush shook up his cabinet (composed largely of people from Texas) in April 2006, it was written that he was…
Space City, USA (Houston nickname)
The Manned Spacecraft Center was established in 1961 in Houston; it was renamed the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in 1973. By 1962, Houston was being called "Space City, USA." On July…
“Where Sunshine Spends the Winter” (San Antonio, El Paso, Rio Grande Valley slogan)
"Where Sunshine Spends the Winter" was/is a slogan for San Antonio, El Paso, the Rio Grande Valley, Long Beach (CA), Tucson (AZ), Phoenix (AZ), and probably other places as well. In 1924,…