Texas Sunshine (citrus-ade)
"Texas Sunshine" is a citrus drink found in the book Cooking Texas Style. The history of the drink (possibly with other names) is not known. Google BooksCooking Texas StyleTenth…
Texas Torpedo (stuffed jalapeños)
A "Texas Torpedo" is a cheese-stuffed jalapeño, popular on several Dallas menus. A "Texas Torpedo" can also mean a sandwich with jalapeños or salsa added. Culpepper Steak…
“Welcome to Texas—Now Go Home” & “Beautify Texas—Put a Yankee on a Bus” (bumper stickers)
There are several Texas bumper stickers that have been popular for several decades. Many of the bumper sticker sayings may have been coined in the 1970s and 1980s by Allied Printing of Dallas, as…
“Hoover Hog,” “Poor Man’s Pig,” “Poverty Pig” (armadillo nicknames)
The armadillo (the little armored one) has had many nicknames. "Hoover Hog" was originally applied to the jackrabbit after Herbert Hoover's Great Depression, but the nickname was…
Texas Wedge (golf putter)
"Texas wedge" is an old, humorous term for a golf putter. The golf courses in Texas were bare and didn't have much grass, so a putter was often used. The courses have changed from…
Texas Caesar Salad
The original "Caesar salad" has nothing to do with Julius Caesar of ancient Rome. Caesar Cardini developed the salad at his Tijuana, Mexico establishment (supposedly on July 4, 1924), and…
“How many Aggies/Texans does it take to eat an armadillo?”
This one has made the rounds of several internet joke files: Q: How many Aggies/Texans does it take to eat an armadillo?A: Three. One to eat the creature, and two to stop traffic. Google Groups:…
Big Apple Triple (thoroughbred racing)
In the spirit of "the Big Apple" itself, OTB has run the "Big Apple Triple" (New York State's version of the triple crown) since 1999. The first leg is the Mike Lee Stakes…
Texas Crabgrass or Texas Crab Grass (a spinach and crabmeat dish)
"Texas crabgrass" (or "Texas crab grass") is a dish that consists of spinach (the green "grass") and crabmeat. It is not known when or where the dish originated, but…
Panchos
"Panchos" are "nachos" with more things added, such as beans and guacamole (or sour cream). Some say that panchos also contain a different type of tortilla chip, not simply the…
Live Music Capital of the World (Austin nickname)
The city of Austin, Texas has called itself the "Live Music Capital of the World" since 1985, when the Austin Convention and Visitors Council used that nickname in an advertisement in…
Texas Champagne (hot sauce)
D. L. Jardine's food company has called its cayenne pepper hot sauce "Texas Champagne" since 1980. Champagne is not hot; what's meant is that it's a famous food product of…
Chalupa
"Chalupas" are popular served at Taco Bell and other Mexican-American restaurants, but they're not new. Versions of the "chalupa" ("boat" or "canoe" in…
“Texas—You can see farther and see less than any place on earth”
It's been said that in Texas one can "see farther and see less than anywhere else in the world." The phrase has also been applied to Montana and Alaska. It appears to date from 1904,…
Q: Why doesn’t Texas fall into the Gulf of Mexico? A: Because Oklahoma sucks!
Inter-state humor involving "sucks" and "blows" is not unique to Texas and Oklahoma and New Mexico. A popular joke is: "Q" Why doesn't Texas fall into the Gulf of…
“Go east until you smell it, south until you step in it” (Texas directions)
The classic directions to go from California to Texas is to go "east until you smell it, south until you step in it." The directions were used in a joke involving Dallas and Fort Worth…
“World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party” (Georgia Bulldogs vs. Florida Gators)
The Georgia Bulldogs football game against the Florida Gators, held at the neutral site of Jacksonville since 1933, has been called "The World's Largest Cocktail Party." In 2005,…
“Florida—Land of Good Living”
"Land of Good Living" was a short-lived Florida slogan of the 1950s. 10 July 1955, Chicago Daily Tribune, pg. J8 ad:Explore All Florida...land of good livingState of Florida 2 January…
Hush Puppies
The exact origin and reason for the name "hush puppies" remain a mystery. It's known that "corn dodgers" were eaten all throughout the South. Pinpointing the origin of when…
Grits and Grunts
"Grits and Grunts" is a famous Florida dish, perhaps not to the liking of all. A "grunt" is a fish that often makes that sound; many people prefer other fish than grunts.…