“Texas—It’s Bigger Than France”
In the late 1990s, T-shirts and bumper stickers declared that Texas is "bigger than France." Will Rogers said much the same thing back in 1932. Texas Territories StoreBigger Than France…
Alphebetical for "t"
“Texas—Where men are men and women are governors”
The old phrase "Texas, where men are men and--" goes back to the 1800s. In the play Texas Steer (1890), the lead character declared that he came from a town in Texas "where men are…
“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,…
“Texas born, Texas bred, when I die, I’ll be a Texan dead!”
"Texas born, Texas bred, when I die, I'll be a Texan dead!" has appeared on T-shirts since at least the 1990s. A similar saying has applied to the University of North Carolina's…
“Texas cooking: Kill something, bacon wrap it with a jalapeño and grill it. Enjoy with cold beer”
"TEXAS COOKING: KILL SOMETHING. BACON WRAP IT WITH A JALAPENO AND GRILL IT. ENJOY WITH COLD BEER. #TEXASLIKETHAT @ZANETHESINGER" (shown on an image) was posted on Facebook by James Lucas…
“Texas could exist without U.S., but U.S. can’t exist without Texas” (Sam Houston)
Sam Houston favored the annexation of Texas to the United States. Nevertheless, in 1844, he wrote the following to General Andrew Jackson: "Texas, with peace, could exist without the United…
“Texas does not…simply have indigenous dishes. It proclaims them” (Alistair Cooke)
Alistair Cooke (1908-2004) was a British journalist who had a popular series about America on public broadcasting stations in the 1970s. He wrote numerous books and columns about America, educating…
“Texas even claims George Washington was a Texan” (joke)
Parson Weems (1759-1825) wrote in The Life of Washington (1800) the tale that a young George Washington told his father, "I cannot tell a lie, I did it (chopped down a cherry tree) with my…
“Texas food groups in spring: BBQ, Tacos, Claritin”
Many people in Texas have spring allergies. Claritin is an allergy medicine. "Texas food groups in spring: BBQ, Tacos, Claritin. #AllergyAwarenessWeek #Allergies #Texas #Austin #AustinTx"…
“Texas forever”
"Texas forever" has been a Texas saying about as long as there has been a Texas. "Texas Forever!!" is the title of a broadside from 1836, during the Texas Revolution. A song…
“Texas Friendly Spoken Here”
"Texas Friendly Spoken Here" is a tourist slogan from 1988. It's almost unknown outside of Texas. 6 September 1989, New York Times, "Promoting Texas: Ribs to Chili" by Anne…
“Texas fries everything but ice cream” (Edna Ferber)
"Texas fries everything but ice cream" is a quotation in Edna Ferber's 1963 autobiography A Kind of Magic. Ferber's Texas work is best represented in the film Giant (1956), with…
“Texas has 12 seasons” (joke)
Texas is sometimes given more than four seasons. One extra season is called "fake fall" or "false fall" or "faux fall," sometimes called "fauxl." "Faux…
“Texas has a lot of electrical votes” (Yogi Berra?)
Baseball great Yogi Berra gets credit for many errors of the English language -- unfortunately, this includes credit for many that he never said. A book in 1989 reports that Berra (then a coach for…
“Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from what source it may”
Sam Houston (1793=1863), said this from the floor of the U.S. Senate in June 1850: "I will say, without vaunting, that Texas has yet to learn submission to any oppression, come from whatever…
“Texas is a blend of valor and swagger” (Carl Sandburg)
Historian/poet Carl Sandburg (1878-1967) is sometimes given credit for saying: "Texas is a blend of valor and swagger." Texas author Boyce House (1896-1961) is best known for his short,…
“Texas is a state of mind. Texas is an obsession.” (John Steinbeck)
John Steinbeck traveled across America in 1960 with his dog Charley; he wrote about it in his book, Travels with Charley: In Search of America (1962). Steinbeck didn't much care for Texas, but…
“Texas Is Calling, Your Opportunity Awaits”
Texas Governor Rick Perry (a Republican) promoted businesses to come to his state in 2013 by taking his message to blue states (Democratic), where taxes were high. Television advertising buys of $1…
“Texas is like hot yoga without the yoga”
"Hot yoga" is when yoga is performed under hot and humid conditions. Texas is hot, and many people have said that any yoga performed outdoors in Texas is hot yoga. "#Texas is like…
“Texas is neither southern nor western. Texas is Texas.” (William Blakley)
William Blakley (1898-1976) was a Texas senator for two incomplete terms, the first in 1957 and the second in 1961. He is remembered today for the quotation: "Texas is neither southern nor…