Do Dat Barbecue (Nacogdoches)
The Do Dat Barbecue in Nacogdoches has been held annually for over two decades. Daily Sentinel (Nacodoches)Do Dat Barbecue booth space filling up spaceBy The Daily SentinelSaturday, August 12,…
“Confused as a cow on AstroTurf” (or, “Confused as a goat on AstroTurf”)
"Confused as a cow on AstroTurf" is probably a variant of the old saying "as independent as a hog on ice." A cow would be more at home on natural grass. Also used is…
Houston Hot Sauce Festival
Houston has held a Hot Sauce Festival since 2000. Houston Hot Sauce FestivalTHE HOTTEST PARTY IN TEXAS7th AnnualHouston Hot Sauce FestivalSeptember 16 & 17, 2006Sat. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m./Sun .Noon…
“Never ask a man if he’s from Texas…”
"Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you. If he isn't, don't embarrass him." It's not known who first said this, but it dates to at least the…
Governor’s Mansion Recipes (Lemon Yogurt Cake, Peach Tea Punch, Wonton Ravioli)
The Governor's Mansion hit a culinary home run with Laura Bush's Governor's Mansion Cowboy Cookies recipe, popularly published in 2000. Other recipes have been published from the…
Birthplace of Texas (Deer Park nickname)
Deer Park (in Southeast Texas) has called itself "the birthplace of Texas." The San Jacinto battlefield is near Deer Park; on April 21, 1836, the decisive victory of the Texans over the…
“National Beer of Texas” & “It’s a Texas Thing” (Lone Star Beer)
Lone Star Beer began when prohibition ended. Lone Star has used the slogans "National Beer of Texas" since 1984 and "It's a Texas Thing" since 2000. "It's a Texas…
Floribbean (Florida + Caribbean)
"Floribbean" is "Florida" + "Caribbean." National Airlines advertised "Floribbean" vacations in the 1960s. In the early 1990s, "Floribbean" became…
Frito Pie
Fritos corn chips began in 1932. Someone, sometime, thought of the idea of adding chili to the corn chips and "Frito pie" was born. Daisy Dean Doolin, the mother of Frito founder Elmer…
National Magazine of Texas (Texas Monthly)
Texas Monthly began in 1973 and calls itself "the national magazine of Texas" because of its national readership. See also the National Drink of Texas (Dr. Pepper) and the National Beer…
Golden Corridor
The "Golden Corridor" is a North Dallas area between I-35 and Highway 75 north of the LBJ Freeway (I-635). The Golden Corridor Republican Women was formed in 1990. The State Highway 121…
King Ranch Casserole (King Ranch Chicken Casserole)
The King Ranch in Texas began in 1853 and is one of the most famous ranches in the world. It's said that two brands of cattle started there. King Ranch is not, however, known for its chicken.…
“Bacon Strip” District
A "bacon strip district" is an electoral district like the one in the Rio Grande Valley (25th Congressional District) that's long and thin and can go on for hundreds of miles. The…
Texas Basement (an attic)
Most homes in Texas don't have basements. The water table and the soil prevent it. A "Texas basement" is an attic. International Real Estate Digest: USA/TexasWhy don't Texas…
Godzillatron (Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium scoreboard)
"Godzillatron" is the nickname of the scoreboard at the University of Texas at Austin's Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Like the "Godzilla" monster, it's…
Drive-In
The Pig Stand "drive-in" opened in 1921 in Dallas and soon became a popular restaurant chain. The Pig Stand featured "car hops" who brought meals to customers waiting in their…
Corn Dog (or Corndog or Corny Dog)
The "corn dog" (or "corndog" or "corny dog") is a "hot dog" coated in corn meal, served on a stick. It was long thought that the corndog was invented at the…
“My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos” (Merc.-Venus-Earth-Mars-Jupiter-Sat.-Uranus-Nept.)
Pluto was declassified as a planet in August 2006. The mnemonic device for remembering the order of the planets from the sun had been "My Very Educated Mother Served Us Nine Pizzas." With…
Guacamole
"Guacamole" isn't found in English-language cookbooks until about 1930. Guacamole is a Mexican dish and is called "huacamole" in Texan Ranch Life (1894). The food term…
Texas Panhandle (or, Texas Pan Handle)
The Texas "panhandle" is the northwest part of the state. The "panhandle" term comes from the lay of the land, like the "handle" of a "pan." The term…