“Texas—You can see farther and see less than any place on earth”
It's been said that in Texas one can "see farther and see less than anywhere else in the world." The phrase has also been applied to Montana and Alaska. It appears to date from 1904,…
Q: Why doesn’t Texas fall into the Gulf of Mexico? A: Because Oklahoma sucks!
Inter-state humor involving "sucks" and "blows" is not unique to Texas and Oklahoma and New Mexico. A popular joke is: "Q" Why doesn't Texas fall into the Gulf of…
“Go east until you smell it, south until you step in it” (Texas directions)
The classic directions to go from California to Texas is to go "east until you smell it, south until you step in it." The directions were used in a joke involving Dallas and Fort Worth…
“World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” (Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators)
The Georgia Bulldogs football game against the Florida Gators, held at the neutral site of Jacksonville since 1933, has been called "The World's Largest Cocktail Party." In 2005,…
“Florida—Land of Good Living”
"Land of Good Living" was a short-lived Florida slogan of the 1950s. 10 July 1955, Chicago Daily Tribune, pg. J8 ad:Explore All Florida...land of good livingState of Florida 2 January…
Hush Puppies
The exact origin and reason for the name "hush puppies" remain a mystery. It's known that "corn dodgers" were eaten all throughout the South. Pinpointing the origin of when…
Grits and Grunts
"Grits and Grunts" is a famous Florida dish, perhaps not to the liking of all. A "grunt" is a fish that often makes that sound; many people prefer other fish than grunts.…
Florida Room
A "Florida room" is a room with lots of sunshine. It can be a screened porch or a room with lots of windows. The term is used in several states, but the Dictionary of American Regional…
African Diaspora Film Festival & African Diaspora Summer Film Series
The African Diaspora Film Festival began in 1993. Anthology Film Archives is the host in November 2006. In August 2006, Riverside Church presented the First Annual African Diaspora Summer Film…
Key Lime Pie
Key Lime Pie (forthcoming). (Oxford English Dictionary)Key lime orig. and chiefly U.S. (also with lower-case initial), a variety of lime naturalized in the Florida Keys and distinguished by its…
Derby Daiquiri (and Derby Daiquiri Pie)
The drink of the famed Kentucky Derby is the mint julep. The Florida Derby (at Gulfstream Park) has its own drink -- the Derby Daiquiri. Cocktail.com (below) asserts that the "Derby…
SoFlo (South Florida)
"SoFlo" is "South Florida." The name, perhaps, was influenced by the trendy 1960s abbreviation for "South of Houston" in New York City, "Soho," that has…
Cigar City (Tampa nickname)
"Cigar City" is still a nickname of the city of Tampa, but its cigar days ended in 1959 when Fidel Castro took power and trade with Cuba halted. Cuba sent its tobacco to both Tampa and…
Little Havana (Miami) & Little Havana on the Hudson (Union City, New Jersey)
"Little Havana" was the name of a brand of cigars, then became the name of a section of Miami (FL), and then also became the name of a section of Union City (NJ). The Union City version…
“Miami Beach is where neon goes to die” (Lenny Bruce)
"Miami Beach is where neon goes to die" is a popular quotation by comedian Lenny Bruce, first recorded in the Saturday Review of May 20, 1972. The slight problem is that Lenny Bruce died…
“Summer on Yams, Winter on Yankees” & “Three seasons—orange, vegetable and invalid”
It has been said that there are three seasons in Florida -- "orange, vegetable and invalid." It's also been said that Floridians "live in yams in the summer and Yankees in the…
“Life’s too short to live in Dallas”
"Life's too short to live in Dallas" is a popular Fort Worth saying, seen on 1990s T-shirts and bumper stickers. Another saying is: "Life's too short to live in Houston,…
H-Town (Houston nickname)
"H-Town" ia hip-hop nickname for the city of Houston. Several cities were called "h-town" in CB language that existed in the 1970s. However, hip-hop probably didn't borrow…
American Riviera
Both California and Florida have claimed the title of "American Riviera" from as far back as the 1890s. 7 November 1892, Los Angeles Times, pg. 9:SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.(...)THE AMERICAN…
Chile con Carne
"Chile con carne" is now the official dish of Texas. "Chile con carne" was the title of an 1857 book by S. Compton Smith, and no earlier citation has yet been found. Wikipedia:…