God’s Waiting Room
So many retirees moved to Florida that it has been called "God's waiting room. However, it appears that Pasadena, California had this nickname first. 16 March 1953, Times-Bulletin (Van…
Bullwinkle District
The 12th Congressional District was called the "Bullwinkle" district in the 1990s because it's drawn like Bullwinkle, the cartoon moose. The name is a play on that old odd animal of…
Texas Butter
"Texas butter" is a butter substitute made of lard, flour, and water. In some slang dictionaries, "Texas butter" means "gravy."…
Juneteenth (June 19th, or Emancipation Day)
"Juneteenth" is the name that was used at least by 1890 for June 19, 1865. That day was also called "Emancipation Day" because it officially ended slavery in Texas. Handbook of…
Cowboy Coffee
"Cowboy coffee" is primative, strong coffee. You don't dilute it with milk or sugar. See the humorous citations below. (Historical Dictionary of American Slang)cowboy coffee n. (see…
Colorado Kool-Aid (Coors beer, from Colorado)
Coors beer (from Colorado) is so weak that some have called it Kool-Aid. "Colorado Kool-Aid" is popular Texas slang for Coors beer. (Historical Dictionary of American Slang)Colorado…
Cowboy Cadillac (pickup truck or other open-back vehicle)
A "cowboy Cadillac" is a pickup truck or other open-backed vehicle. The term was made popular by a bumper sticker in 1975. See also Texas Cadillac (Historical Dictionary of American…
Texas Tea (oil, alcoholic drink, iced tea, et al.)
The television show The Beverly Hillbillies in 1962 had a theme song that called oil "Texas tea." There have been other meanings attached to "Texas tea," including actual tea.…
Texas Cadillac (pickup truck or Chevy Suburban)
A "Texas Cadillac" was originally slang for a "pickup truck" of any variety. In recent years, a "Texas Cadillac" has meant a Chevy Suburban. The Suburban is huge. See…
Hot Guts (Elgin, TX hot sausage)
"Hot Guts" is the Elgin hot sausage. Elgin proudly declares itself the "Sausage Capital of Texas," and the Southside Market is the home of the Elgin hot sausage.…
Dr. Pepper Cake
Dr. Pepper Cake (or Dublin Dr. Pepper Cake, with the Dr. Pepper from Dublin, Texas) is another soft drink cake, similar to 7-Up Cake and Coca-Cola Cake. Dr. Pepper originated in the state and has…
Hot Chubbies (sausages by Nemecek Brothers of West, Texas)
"Hot Chubbies" is the local name of sausages that are sold by the Nemecek Bros. Meat Market in West, Texas. http://members.aol.com/nemebros/Nemecek Bros. Meat Market300 N. Main West,…
Kolache (Czech pastry)
The "kolache" (there are various other spellings for it) is a Czech pastry that somehow found its way deep into the heart of Texas (with its German-Czech immigrants from as far back as…
Kangaroo Court
The kangaroo is an animal normally found in Australia, not Texas. However, it was Texas (or Mississippi) that came up with the term "kangaroo court," meaning a court where the proceedings…
Club Row (West 27th Street)
West 27th Street in Chelsea has become known as "club row" became of its many night spots. Page SixROCK AROUND THE BLOCK[ (9 clubs + 7,000 people) x 5 nights ] - 1 block = West 27th…
Big Nipple (summary)
Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci called Los Angeles "the Big Nipple." The somewhat shocking nickname is amusing, but is seldom used. Bertolucci explained this Big Apple-knockoff…
“Big hat and no cattle” (“All hat and no cattle”)
"Big hat and no cattle" (or "all hat and no cattle") means someone who boasts a lot ("talks out of one's hat"), but doesn't have the means to back it up.…
Texas Sweet Onion
The "Texas sweet onion" came from Bermuda in 1898 and never left. Texas also produces many other varieties of onions, but perhaps none as famous as this one.…
Texas Dirt (banana pie with crushed Oreos)
"Texas Dirt" is a name that has been attached to several culinary creations. "Texas Dirt" usually is a banana pie served in a flowerplot of crushed Oreo cookies, but "Texas…
Gone to Texas (GTT)
"Gone to Texas" was a popular expression in the mid-late 1830s. When a person who owed bills or who committed a crime was nowhere to be found, that person had "gone to Texas"…