Father’s Day in Harlem (racist joke)
What's the definition of "confusion"? Father's Day in Harlem! This racist joke dates from the 1980s and is of unknown origin. Google BooksThe Mirth of Nationsby Christie…
Cowboy Cool
"Cowboy cool" can mean beer that's been left in the back of a pickup in West Texas. That's not cold, but for a cowboy in West Texas, it's the best that can be done.…
FiDi (Financial District)
"FiDi" is a name that was used in 2006 for the financial district. The term FiDi is borrowed from San Francisco's Financial District. Google BooksFrommer's San Francisco 2005by…
Blue Steel
"Blue steel" can means many things. Steel goes through a "bluing" prcoess to protect against rust. Revolvers often have blue steel barrels. Two movies were titled "Blue…
“Big as hell and half of Texas”
"Big as all hell and half of Texas" is mighty big, indeed. The phrase "...and half of Texas" was used in a circus advertisement in 1900. "Hell and half of Georgia" was…
“Merry Tex-mas, Y’all!”
Christmas (or "X-mas") in Texas is sometimes called "Texmas" or "Tex-mas," as in "Merry Tex-mas, Y'all!" Just don't wish for a white Texmas. Google…
Cowboy Bloody Mary (cocktail)
A Cowboy Bloody Mary is a Bloody Mary with horseradish and okra. It's a "signature spirit" of the Perini Ranch in Buffalo Gap, Texas. Perini Ranch Steakhouse (Buffalo Gap, TX)Perini…
“A line in the sand” (Col. Travis in 1836; Pres. Bush in 1990)
There have been many historical "lines in the sand." The Spanish explorer Pizarro is said to have a "line in the sand" to his troops in Peru. Lieutenant Colonel William Travis…
Alamo Bowl
The annual Alamo Bowl is a football bowl played between representatives of the Big 12 and Big Ten conferences. The first Alamo Bowl was played in 1993, and it takes place in the Alamodome in San…
Tortilla
The tortilla (frm the Spanish word "torta") is used a a wrap for many Tex-Mex foods, such as burritos. The corn tortilla is the traditional one, but there are now flour and wheat…
Tortilla Curtain & Cactus Curtain
After World War II, Winston Churchill declared that an "iron curtain" had descended upon Eastern Europe. Later, there would be a Berlin Wall. The purpose of the iron curtain and the…
Hombre & Bad Hombre Eggs
"Hombre" is Spanish for "man." The term is usually used with adjectives, such as "bad hombre" and "one tough hombre." These terms were used in boxing in the…
Spanglish
"Spanglish" is Spanish + English. It's the Spanish language peppered with large doses of English words, popular in some places of Texas, California, Florida and New York. The term…
Pocho & Pochismo
"Pocho" is a term for a Mexican who lives in the United States. "Pochismo" is an English word given a Spanish form or pronunciation. "Pocho" is generally regarded as…
Montezuma’s Revenge or Moctezuma’s Revenge (traveler’s diarrhea)
"Montezuma's Revenge" and "Aztec two-step" and "turista" are the colorful names for traveler's diarrhea for visitors to Mexico. The terms have spread…
Tequila Sunrise (cocktail)
The Tequila Sunrise cocktail was invented by Robert Emmett "Lanny" Leighninger (1895-1982) at the Agua Caliente race track in the 1930s. Leighninger worked for the track and also wrote a…
Tequila Mockingbird (cocktail)
Ever since Harper Lee's 1960 novel To Kill a Mockingbird, a drink named "Tequila Mockingbird" was bound to happen somehow. Drinks by that name date from the 1960s; the only thing in…
South of the Border Cider
South of the Border Cider contains apple cider and tequila. The drink is on Central Market's website and Emeril's website and is mentioned in a 1990 book, but doesn't appear in too…
Tequila Shrimp (Margarita Shrimp Skewers)
Tequila Shrimp (or Mexican Margarita Shrimp Skewers) sounds perfectly Texan. What could be better than tequila added to shrimp from the Gulf? The dish "Tequila Shrimp" dates from 1970s…
Glory Road
"Glory Road" is the title of a 1996 film, based on the book of the same name by former Texas Western (now the University of Texas at El Paso, or UTEP) basketball coach Don Haskins. The…