Investigating the origins of American words, names, quotations and phrases. Over 41,000 entries.
"Great Seafood, Not a Lot of Clams" is the slogan of Rockfish Seafood Grill, a Dallas-based seafood restaurant chain. Texans hate clams? Rockfish Seafood GrillROCKFISH Seafood Grill is…
Nachos is a Tex-Mex dish dating from about 1940. In 1966, Doritos tortilla chips were created by Frito-Lay (a Texas company). A popular Doritos flavor (since 1972) is "nacho cheese." By…
Jalapeño Soup is a popular use of the jalapeño (the state pepper). The first recorded citation of "jalapeño soup" appears in the 1970s, but the soup became popular in the 1990s.…
"Heaven and Hell Cake" was created by Stephan Pyles at the Star Canyon restaurant in Dallas, in 1994. It's now served at at his own Stephan Pyles restaurant in Dallas, and the…
"Disco fries" are first cited in 1996 and are believed to have started at New Jersey diners. Some think that "disco fries" means "diner fries," while others insist…
Port Aransas is called "Port A" by local residents. The shortened name has spread to its many visitors. Wikipedia: Port Aransas, TexasPort Aransas is a city in Nueces County, Texas, on…
The Schleppie Award was started in 2007 by NYPIRG's Straphangers' Campaign and Transportation Alternatives. The award goes to New York City's least reliable buses. Since 2002, the…
"Texas With a Little Something Extra" is a slogan for the city of Beaumont (2003-present). Beaumont is close to the Louisiana border, and the Louisiana local word of "lagniappe"…
Barbecue crabs (or "barbecued crabs") is a specialty of the gulf area of southeast Texas. It is believed that barbecue crabs was first served by Willie Foster at Granger's at Sabine…
Texas borders on Louisiana, and East Texas shares some of the same cuisine as its neighboring state. The "holy trinity" (or simply "trinity") of Cajun/Creole cuisine consists of…
Rodeo is the official state sport of Texas. It's tough for the rodeo performers, who often suffer many injuries. The term "suicide circuit" for the rodeo business has been in use…
"Where friends meet to eat" is the slogan at Kincaid's Hamburgers (established in 1946) in Forth Worth, a place that's often cited to serve some of the best hamburgers in…
"Red or green?" is the official state question of New Mexico. Really, it is. The "state question" was proposed in 1996 and finally signed by the governor in 1999. New Mexico is…
Missouri City (a city in the Texas Houston-Sugar Land-Baytown metropolitan area) got its name in the 1890s, when land was advertised for sale in St. Louis, Missouri. In October 2007, Missouri City…
"King of Beverages" was one of the first slogans for the soft drink Dr. Pepper (later simply "Dr Pepper," without the period). Several websites claim that the slogan was used…
Hollywood had always turned out western movies, but Duel in the Sun (1946) became an infamous one. Actress Jennifer Jones was so sex-crazed that critics called the movie "Lust in the…
"Texas lemonade" can mean simple lemonade, or it can be a drink with tequila, vodka, rum or even beer. The "Texas lemonade" in Grady Spears' book Cowboy Cocktails (2000)…
Bruschetta is an Italian dish of toasted bread with various toppings, such as tomatoes, peppers, and cheese. Bonnell's Fine Texas Cuisine restaurant in Forth Worth serves a "Texas…
"Remember the Alamo!" (or, as some insist, "Remember Alamo!") was the famous Texas cry at the victorious Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836. The inevitable "Remember…
The origin of "cheese fries" (cheese added to french fries) is in dispute. The dish is claimed by both Philadelphia and Chicago, dating from the early 1980s. Hostess distributed frozen…