Venison Chili (Deer Chili; Deer Meat Chili)
Deer can be seen in many parts of Texas. Chile con carne is the official dish of Texas, so it's no surprise that deer meat would be added to chili. In 1953, the governor of Texas, Allan…
Tailgate Party or Tailgate Picnic (Tailgating)
A "tailgate party" or "tailgating picnic" ("tailgating") is a pre-game ritual that some fans engage in at stadium parking lots, using the tailgate of trucks or station…
Iced Tea
"Iced tea" (cited since at least the 1830s) is a popular drink in the South. About 1868, iced tea became popular in New York City. In early cookbooks, the drink is also sometimes referred…
Iced Tea
"Iced tea" (cited since at least the 1830s) is a popular drink in the South. About 1868, iced tea became popular in New York City. In early cookbooks, the drink is also sometimes referred…
Jalapeño Cream Cheese
"Cream cheese" is a soft, spreadable cheese usually associated with Philadelphia. "Jalapeño cream cheese" brings some heat by adding the Texas state pepper, the jalapeño.…
Steak Fingers (Steakfingers)
"Steak fingers" (breaded beef strips, also called "chicken-fried steak fingers" or "steakfingers") became popular snacks at West Texas drive-ins in the 1950s and…
Texas Adultery Law (lawyer joke)
The origin of this lawyer joke in unknown, but if adultery is punishable by a shotgun death, it must take place in Texas. The end of the joke doesn't quite make sense. Why wouldn't a…
“Texas fries everything but ice cream” (Edna Ferber)
"Texas fries everything but ice cream" is a quotation in Edna Ferber's 1963 autobiography A Kind of Magic. Ferber's Texas work is best represented in the film Giant (1956), with…
“Did you know the Missouri Pacific Railroad is mentioned in the Bible?” (railroad joke)
"Did you know the Missouri Pacific Railroad is mentioned in the Bible?" is the start of an old railroad joke. "MoPac" service was so slow that people told jokes about it.…
“Need no teef to eat my beef” (House Park Bar-B-Que, Austin)
"Need no teef to eat my beef" is the non-trademarked slogan at the House Park Bar-B-Que in Austin, at West 12th Street near Lamar Boulevard. House Park has been around since 1943;…
Mr. Bojangles (person and song title)
"Mr. Bojangles" is a 1968 song title by Jerry Jeff Walker (a popular performer on the Austin music scene, especially in the 1970s). The song describes a dancer, known throughout the…
Big Auger
A "big auger" is an old west term for a "big shot." The term appears in western stories, such as those by Andy Adams (around 1900). A senator or governor or mayor or ranch owner…
“It’s been one hell of a party” (Larry McMurtry’s “Lonesome Dove”)
"It's been one hell of a party" is a memorable quotation from the television miniseries Lonesome Dove (1989), based on Larry McMurtry's award-winning novel (1985). Internet…
Astor House Rolls; Roast Beef “a la Astor House”
The Astor House (1836-1926) was once one of the most famous hotels in New York City. It stood at Broadway, between Vesey and Barclay Streets (not far from city hall). Dining at the Astor House was…
Tea-sipper or Teasipper; Tea-sip or Teasip (University of Texas at Austin student nickname)
Since at least the 1930s, the Texas A&M Aggies have called students of the University of Texas at Austin "tea-sippers" ( or "teasippers"), later "tea-sips" (or…
Oil Bowl (Maskat Oil Bowl at Wichita Falls)
The Oil Bowl began in 1938 as a Texas high school all-star football game. No game was held in 1944. In 1945, the Oil Bowl game became Texas against Oklahoma high school all-stars. The Maskat Shrine…
Okrahoma (Oklahoma nickname)
"Okrahoma" (okra + Oklahoma) is an unflattering nickname of Oklahoma or the University of Oklahoma. The term is one of several nicknames used at the Texas-Oklahoma football game known as…
Yokelhoma or Yokelahoma (Oklahoma nickname)
"Yokelhoma" or "Yokelahoma" is an unflattering nickname from people who think that Oklahoma or the University of Oklahoma is filled with a bunch of "yokels." The term…
Jokelahoma (Oklahoma nickname)
"Jokelahoma" (joke + Oklahoma) is an unflattering nickname for the state of Oklahoma, or just Oklahoma University. The nickname is sometimes used at the Texas-Oklahoma football game known…
Mobilehoma (Oklahoma nickname)
"Mobilehoma" (mobile home + Oklahoma) is an unflattering nickname for the state of Oklahoma, often for Oklahoma University. The nickname is sometimes used at the Oklahoma-Texas football…