Aggie (Texas A&M nickname)
"Aggie" is someone at Texas A&M. The nickname seems obvious enough. However, citations are rare before 1906. The Maryland Agricultural College (now the University of Maryland) used…
Cowboy (or Cow Boy)
"Cow boy" (later "cowboy") signified a tory partisan (pro-English) in the Revolutionary War (1770s). The name "cow boy" was used in New York and Massachusetts. The…
Longhorn (University of Texas nickname)
"Longhorn" is the nickname of the University of Texas (Austin) teams. The term was officially and regularly used in 1906. It had been written that "Longhorns" was used in the…
Huevos Rancheros (Ranch Eggs)
"Huevos Rancheros" (ranch eggs) is a Mexican dish that came to Texas in the late 1800s. The "ranch style" is eggs with chili peppers and tomatoes and onions, often with potatoes…
Blue Norther
A "blue norther" (or simply "norther" or "Texas Norther") is a strong northerly wind that's also combined with a decrease in temperature. The term dates from the…
Israeli Film Festival
The Israel Film Festival bills itself as the largest showcase of Israeli films in the United States. The films are showcased in Los Angeles, Miami, and New York, and the film festival began in…
Korean Film Festival
The Korean Film Festival was held August 30-September 2, 2006. The annual event offers both old and new Korean films. Korean Film FestivalLee Man-Hee Retrospective: Love’s Labor Found: Lee Man…
Hot Sauce Festival (Austin Chronicle)
The Austin Chronicle weekly newspaper has held a Hot Sauce Festival since 1991. Austin ChronicleSixteenth Annual Austin Chronicle Hot Sauce Contest WinnersAustin, TX - August 27, 2006 - The…
“On earth, as it is in Austin”
"On earth, as it is in Austin" has appeared on bumper stickers and T-shirts since the early 1990s. The prayer normally goes "on earth, as it is in Heaven." Other slogans have…
City of Ideas (Austin nickname)
Austin calls itself the
Wishbone Offense (football formation)
The "wishbone" offense is an offense that sets up like a "Y" or "wishbone." It is primarily a running offense. University of Texas Coach Darrell Royal used the…
“Handy as hip pockets on a hog”
"Useless as hip pockets on a hog" is a phrase of unknown origin, but it's cited from the 1930s. "Useless" is now replaced with "handy," and sometimes it's…
“We’ve howdied, but we ain’t shook”
"We've howdied, but we ain't shook" means that we know each other, but we haven't been formally introduced. The saying has also been used in Tennessee and is from the early…
“You can put your boots in the oven, but that don’t make ‘em biscuits”
"You can put your boot in the oven, but that doesn't make them biscuits" means that just because you do something, that doesn't make it so. People sometimes put boots in the…
Oldest Town in Texas (Nacogdoches nickname)
Nacogdoches calls itself "the oldest town in Texas" Visit NacagodochesNacogdoches - the oldest town in Texas - is named for the Caddo family of Indians who once lived in the area. There…
“This ain’t my first rodeo” (“This is not my first rodeo”)
"This ain't my first rodeo" means "this isn't my first time." It is a similar saying to "I wasn't born yesterday." The phrase dates to at least the…
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…