Cowgirl (or Cow Girl)
The "cowboy" is famous, but there is also the "cowgirl" (or "cow girl"). The name "cowgirl" appears in print in the 1880s. Fort Worth has a National Cowgirl…
Judas Steer
The "Judas steer" was the one who helped the cowboys lead the other animals to their destruction in the stockyards. The terms dates from the 1800s cattle drives. Western Slang, Lingo…
Arbuckle (coffee)
Arbuckle's was a popular brand of coffee that was made in Pittsburgh (PA) after the Civil War. The coffee quickly became a favorite with cowboy cooks and so dominated the market that…
Cowpoke (or Cow Poke)
A cowpoke is another name for a cowboy. While "cow puncher" dates from the 1870s, "cow poke" did not become popular until the 1920s. "Cowpoke" is informal and almost…
Bear Sign (doughnuts)
"Bear sign" is a cowboy term for doughnuts. In the Pacific Northwest, "bear sign" means berry jam. "Bear sign" is first recorded from the 1830s to mean "bear…
Dead Man’s Hand
The "dead man's hand" is a two-pair poker hand that also appears in Texas hold 'em. The hand is widely believed to be aces and eights, but early citations show jacks and eights,…
“Whole kit and caboodle”
"The whole kit and caboodle" is an older expression for what we might nowadays say is "the whole nine yards" -- that is, "everything." In the 1800s, the phrase was…
“Between hay and grass”
"Between hay and grass" is said of the seasons, it being neither winter nor summer. It's also said of a young person, not a boy (or a girl) and not yet a man (or a woman). Old West…
Kolache Capital of Texas (Caldwell); Home of the Official Kolache (West)
The kolache (a Czech pastry) is so important that there have been two bills before the Texas leagislature! In 1989, the city of Caldwell was declared the "Kolache Capital of Texas." Then,…
Daffodil Capital of Texas (Round Rock nickname)
Round Rock was declared the "Daffodil Capital of Texas" by the Texas legislature in 2003. Round Rock holds an annual Daffodil Festival; the daffodil association began in the 1990s when…
Hail Mary (1975 Roger Staubach pass)
The famous "Hail Mary" pass was Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach's throw to wide receiver Drew Pearson in a December 28, 1975 football game against the Minnesota Vikings.…
“Made in Texas by Texans”
"Made in Texas by Texans" was a bumper sticker in the 1940s proudly displayed by vehicles from Texas's Ford plant. In 2006, Toyota trucks began to manufactured at a San Antonio…
“Hook “Em Horns” & “Hook ‘Em Cows”
The "Hook 'Em Horns" hand gesture (with index finger and pinkie standing up as "horns") was invented by then-University of Texas head cheerleader Harley Clark at a…
Barbecue
The etymology of the word "barbecue" shows that it appears to come from the word "barbacoa" (a long pit, with a framework of sticks) that was used in the 1500s and 1600s.…
Howdy (“Howdy, Pardner!”)
"Howdy" is simply from "How do you?" and dates to back well before the Texas became independent from Mexico. "Old Howdy" or William Harrison Martin (1822-1898) was a…
“What has six balls and screws Texans? The Texas Lottery!” (Kinky Friedman)
"What has six balls and screws Texans? The Texas Lottery!" declared Kinky Friedman in 2006, during his unsuccessful campaign for governor of Texas. It's an old line. Other state…
“Beat like a rented mule”
"Beat like a rented mule" sounds like it's a Texas phrase. It appears on lists of Texas phrases, and Texas speakers recently have used the phrase. The meaning of the phrase is to…
“How the cow ate the cabbage”
"How the cow ate the cabbage" means to tell everything ("straight talk"), like the cow eats everything. Ann Richards (then Texas State Treasurer) used "how the cow ate the…
“Knock off its horns, wipe its ass, and throw it on the plate” (Texan ordering “rare” steak)
"Knock off its horns, wipe its ass, and throw it on the plate" is a stereotypical order of "rare" steak by a Texan visiting a steakhouse. The line appeared in the Australian…
“Hotter than a Laredo parking lot” (Dan Rather, election night 2000)
Dan Rather (from Wharton, TX) was the anchor of the CBS Evening News from 1981-2005. On election night 2000, he let loose a slew of "Rather-isms" -- folksy sayings, both borowed and…