Texxas
"Texxas" is sometimes seen as a spelling for "Texas." From 1978-1988, the Texxas World Music Festival (also called Texxas Jam) was an annual summer rock concert. The beer Dos…
Sun, Salsa and Soldiers (Fort Bliss/El Paso slogan)
The city of El Paso has many days without rain and has long been called "Sun City." El Paso is just across the border from the Mexican city of Juarez, and Fort Bliss is located in El Paso…
Frisclosure (Frisco nickname during foreclosure crisis)
The city of Frisco grew rapidly during the 1990s, selling itself as an attractive and affordable Dallas suburb. In 2007, home foreclosures shot up 45% and the city was being nicknamed…
“If it looks like a taco and smells like a fish…” (Fuzzy’s Taco Shop in Fort Worth)
Fuzzy's Taco Shop in Fort Worth and Denton calls itself "Home of the Original Fish Taco." Fuzzy's is open late and is a favorite hangout for students at Texas Christian…
Church of the Holy Barbecue (New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville)
New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Huntsville (about 65 miles north of Houston) added barbecue for a prayer meeting in the early 1980s. The barbecue was so good that the church soon became the…
Death by Chocolate
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Death by ChocolateDeath by Chocolate is a marketing term for various desserts that feature chocolate (especially dark chocolate or cocoa) as the primary…
Milk Shake (Milkshake)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: MilkshakeA milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and sweet flavorings such as fruit syrup, vanilla extract,…
Horchata
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: HorchataHorchata or orxata is the name for several kinds of vegetable beverages, made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, barley or tigernuts (chufas).…
“Summer Streets” (car-free streets during summer)
In June 2008, an experimental Department of Transportation program called "Summer Streets" was announced. For three straight Saturdays in August 2008, a 6.9-mile stretch of Manhattan…
Dallas Phallus/ Ball/ Golf Ball/ Microphone/ Dandelion/ Circle Tower (Reunion Tower nickname)
The Reunion Tower (built in 1978) in Dallas is part of the Hyatt Regency hotel. The tower looks like a ball on a stick and has been called a "ball," a "golf ball," a…
Rose Capital of America (Tyler nickname)
The city of Tyler has been called the "Rose Capital of America" since the 1920s and 1930s. A Tyler Rose Festival began in 1933, later renamed the Texas Rose Festival in 1936. About 20% of…
Nerd Bird
In 1992, American Airlines began flights from San Jose, CA ("Silicon Valley") to Austin, TX ("Silicon Hills"). The flights were filled with high tech industry employees (often…
Drinking Straw Effect (oil drilling term)
The "drinking straw effect" in oil drilling can occur, for example, in the Gulf of Mexico, where American and Mexican companies both drill. If someone has an extra long "drinking…
Cotton-Eyed Joe (Cotton-Eye Joe)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Cotton-Eyed Joe"Cotton-Eye Joe" is a popular American folk song known at various times throughout the United States and Canada, although today it is…
Cotton Belt Route (Cottonbelt Trail)
Southern states where cotton was grown began to be called a "cotton belt" by the 1850s. The St. Louis Southwestern Railway Company ran track through Missouri, Arkansas and Texas, and by…
Herf (draw on a cigar or cigarette)
"Herf" was first used by "Prince of Skeeves" on the newsgroup alt.smokers.cigars on November 21, 1996. On November 23rd, "Prince of Skeeves" explained: "To…
New York Slimes (New York Times nickname)
New York Slimes is a nickname that some people who do not like the New York Times sometimes use. The Times is perceived as liberal, and some conservatives have called it The Slimes since at least…
New Duranty Times (New York Times nickname)
The New York Times newspaper has many critics who give it many nicknames. Since 2005, Robert Spencer's blogs Jihad Watch and Dhimmi Watch have called the newspaper "The New Duranty…
“Pinch the tail and suck the head” or “Suck the head and pinch the tail” (crawfish eating)
People in Louisiana and eastern Texas love to eat crawfish. Eating crawfish, however, is a multi-step process. Some eaters "suck the head" of a crawfish to get all the juices. Then eaters…
Wasteway (Westway nickname)
"Westway" was the name of the proposed super-highway project to bury the West Side Highway below 40th Street. The highway was planned in 1969, was long fought-against on environmental…