Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
It's cold up north in Amarillo, but "There's nothing between Amarillo and the North Pole except a barbed wire fence" is an exaggeration. The saying was considered old as early…
Rosemary Kent (author of the 1981 book The Genuine Texas Handbook) has been quoted as saying that Texans barbecue "everything except ice cream." It's not known where this phrase…
There are legal executions of criminals in Texas. Some people have used the term "Texecution" ("Texas" + "execution") or "Texecuted" ("Texas" +…
"If it grows, it will stick you; if it crawls, it will bite you" has appeared on internet joke lists from the early 2000s. The saying is attributed to the Texas way of life, but the…
"Longhorns" is the trademarked name of the chocolate, pecan and caramel candies by Lammes Candies. Lammes has been around since 1885; Longhorns were trademarked from since 1984.…
"I don't care if it harelips the governor" (or "hare-lips the governor") means the same as "come hell or high water." The phrase (also popularly used in to…
Austin has been called the Live Music Capital of the World. It's been said that "you can't swing a dead cat in Austin without hitting a musician." "Swing a dead cat"…
Brooklyn has been called the "borough that's thorough" in hip hop. The nickname is seldom used. About MBHailing from the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn, New York, MBF hopes to…
Texas is known for chicken fried steak, but chicken fried bacon? Why not? The dish (served with cream gravy) was created in the 1990s by Frank Sodolak and is served at Sodolak's Original…
A "tube steak" is another name for a "hot dog." The origin of the name isn't known, but "tube steak" appears in slang from at least the 1930s. "Tube…
"Champagne of the South" or "Southern Champagne" is another name for sweet tea. It's iced tea that's very, very sweet and is a favorite from Georgia to Texas. RC Cola…
"What it do" means the same as "What's up?" Both San Francisco/Oakland and Houston claim the origin of this hip hop phrase, although African-American slang has used similar…
Dr. Pepper began in Waco, Texas. In the 1930s, "Waco" was drug store slang for an order of Dr. Pepper. "Dallas" was slang for an order of Coca-Cola (then bottled in Dallas).…
New York hot dog onion sauce (or, New York onion sauce) is served on pushcart hot dogs. The recipes vary. 15 March 1995, Elyria (OH) Chronicle-Telegram, pg. B8, col. 3:NEW YORK PUSHCART HOT DOG…
The Chihuahua Sandwich was popularized by R. A. "Skeet" Noret and his wife, Sarah, at the Sky-Vue Drive In at Lamesa, Texas. The sandwich -- no chihuahuas are included -- contains chili,…
"South Waco shrimp" is another name for chicken tails. The dish is served at Krispy Chicken in Waco. Ask the ExpertYou can also look for Krispy Chicken phone 254-754-3869 located @ 601 S.…
"Never wrestle with a pig -- you get dirty and the pig likes it" has been said to be Abraham Lincoln-esque, but there is no record that Lincoln said anything like it. The saying has been…
"Sam Houston made us free; Sam Colt made us equal" was a saying popularized by Gene Howe, who wrote "The Tactless Texan" column for the Amarillo Globe-News that he published. In…
"Burger" is a shortened form of "hamburger." Ben Zimmer of the Oxford English Dictionary found the following early citations from Penn State. Penn State Collegian22 July 1926,…
No one knows who the first person was who added mustard to a hot dog. The hot dog & mustard combination was popular by at least 1851, when Charles Dickens wrote about it. Google BooksHousehold…