Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
The Texas flag often is placed on a flagpole at the same height as the U.S. flag on its flagpole, and it's sometimes said that Texas is the only state that can do this. The explanation given…
"Those whom the gods love they let live in Texas" is a proverb cited in a 1904 book (below). Other citations for this proverb have not been found; however, other citations for another…
"They who drink of the San Antonio River will return" is a nice saying to impress upon visitors to San Antonio's River Walk (even though visitors do not literally "drink…
San Antonio is sometimes called the "Venice of America" (or "Venice of the Texas Plains" or "Venice of the Southwest") because of its beautiful River Walk on the San…
"Pepper steak" (sometimes called "Chinese pepper steak" to distinguish it from other steak-and-pepper dishes) is a Canton-style dish that has been popular in New York…
Southwestern vegetable soup (less frequently given as "Southwest vegetable soup") appears to have been created in the Campbell's Soup Company kitchens in 1966. The soup is a…
"Bulgogi" (also spelled "bulgoki" and "pulgogi") is Korean barbecue; the term literally means "fire meat" or "flesh on fire." The meat is barbecued…
"Spaghetti and meatballs" (or "meatballs and spaghetti," with the two-word "meat balls" as the earlier form) is a popular Italian dish -- or is it Italian? It's…
Many Spanish-speaking people mark a girl's fifteenth birthday with a celebration. The name "Quince Años" (fifteen years) was applied to this celebration in the 1950s and 1960s; by…
The city of Pampa is the second-largest in the Texas Panhandle, located at the top of Texas. In 1937, Pampa hosted a "Top of Texas Fiesta" (or "Top o' Texas Fiesta"). Pampa…
Will Rogers (1879-1935) was often called a "cowboy philosopher." In 1919, this "cowboy philosopher" term was included in the title to one of his books (Rogers-isms, the cowboy…
Entry in progress. Wikipedia is wrong that this originated in the Navy in the 1940s. Touch football was popular for a long time on NYC streets -- B.P. Wikipedia: Touch football (American)Touch…
"The City of Opportunity" is the slogan of the city of Seagoville, near Dallas. The city boasts small town living near a big city. The origin of its untrademarked slogan "The City of…
'The Company You Love to Hate" was the cover caption of Fortune magazine's March 1966 story about Con Edison. The blackout of November 9, 1965 caused many New York City residents to…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Stoop ballStoop ball (also spelled "stoopball") is a game that is played by throwing a ball against a stoop (stairs leading up to a building) on the…
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Buck buckBuck Buck (also known as "Johnny on a Pony", "Matupaki or Chinchilagua") is a popular team game that has been played for many…
Pope Paul VI gave Mass at Yankee Stadium in October 1965. It was quickly called the "Sermon on the Mound" -- a linguistic borrowing from the "Sermon on the Mount." Pope John…
Moo shu pork (also "moo shoo pork" or "moo shi pork") is cited in English from at least 1962; by the late 1960s, moo shu pork became a popular New York City Chinese dish. The…
The Board of Aldermen was notoriously corrupt in the 19th century, sometimes earning itself the nickname "Forty Thieves." The 1884 Board of Aldermen became nicknamed the "boodle…
The name "forty thieves" is taken from the story "Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves," from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights (Arabian Nights). One of New York City's…