“If you see a turtle on a fence, he had help getting there”
"If you see a turtle sitting on a fencepost, he had help getting there" is one of Bill Clinton's favorite phrases. The phrase is popular in both Arkansas and Texas to indicate the…
Archive for 11/2006
“Everything’s bigger in Texas”
"Everything's bigger in Texas" (sometimes ""Everything's bigger and better in Texas" or "They grow things bigger in Texas") reflects what was once…
Waco We Do (Waco slogan)
"Waco We Do" is the Waco city slogan promoted by the Greater Waco Chamber of Commerce in 2006. The new slogan is intended to stress the city's "can-do" attitude. The…
Mountain Oyster (or Prairie Oyster)
"Mountain oysters" (also called "Rocky Mountain oysters" or "prairie oysters" or "calf fries," among many other names) are the testicles of animals,…
“If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell” (Philip Sheridan)
"If I owned Texas and Hell, I would rent Texas and live in Hell" is a famous statement of U.S. General Philip Henry Sheridan in 1866. A later account (1883, below) tries to temper the…
Golden Triangle (Beaumont, Orange, Port Arthur)
The "Golden Triangle" cities of Texas are the three Gulf Coast cities of Beaumont, Orange, and Port Arthur. The term -- that some people say originated in the 1940s -- has been in print…
Right Side of Texas (Beaumont slogan)
"Right Side of Texas" was a slogan for the city of Beaumont. In 2003, the city went with "Texas With a Little Something Extra," to promote its Louisiana ("lagniappe")…
Chocolate Whiskey Cake
The Wunsche Brothers Cafe in Spring, Texas (since 1902) makes a famous chocolate whiskey cake. It may or may not be the first chocolate whiskey cake, but there are claims that it's the best.…
Crawfish Taco
Crawfish tacos are a nice blend of Texas and Louisiana, perhaps inspired by San Diego's popular fish tacos. It's not known who first served this dish. Texas Monthly: December 2006The…
Enchilada Red (color of San Antonio Public Library, Central branch)
The San Antonio Express-News held a contest to name the color of the new San Antonio Public Library building (Central branch). In 1995, the entry "enchilada red" won. Some people love the…
Charlie Taylor (butter substitute)
"Charlie Taylor" (or "Charley Taylor") is the name of a butter substitute made by cowboy cooks. The name may have been taken from the Charlie Taylor of Charlie, Texas, but the…
Poppy Seed Dressing
Poppy seed (or poppyseed) dressing is often associated with Helen Corbitt, the Dallas cookbook author and Neiman Marcus food manager in the 1940s and 1950s. She admitted that she helped to…
Stable Row
New York has (or had) more than one "stable row." The "stable row" near the famous Dakota building, on Amsterdam Avenue from 75th to 77th Streets, failed to be landmarked in…
ShittyField, in Flushing (Citi Field ballpark, in Flushing, Queens)
Many New Yorkers wanted the new Mets ballpark (the one replacing Shea Stadium) to be named after baseball great Jackie Robinson. Citigroup offered to pay $20 million a year to name the stadium, and…
Pecosin’ (Pecosing) & Pecos Swap
"Pecosin'" is an old-time term that means to kill someone and throw the body into the Pecos River, often with weights so it drowns. Later, the term "Pecosin'" (or the…
“Land of Tall Women and Virgin Pines” (Piney Woods, East Texas)
"Land of Tall Women and Virgin Pines" is a very unofficial slogan of the Piney Woods in East Texas. Some say that it used to be called "Land of Virgin Women and Tall Pines." In…
Chili Mac
"Chili Mac" recipes are all over the internet. It's Southern comfort food -- ground beef, elbow macaroni, and tomato sauce (or something hotter). The dish dates to at least 1902.…
Chilaquiles
Chilaquiles is a Mexican dish of fried tortilla chips, cut in strips and topped with salsa or mole (or layered like a casserole). The dish (which is recorded from the 19th century) has become an…
Enfrijolada
"Enfrijoladas" are tortillas dipped in bean sauce, a recipe from Oaxaca, Mexico. Robb Walsh and David Garrido included enfrijoladas in their Nuevo Tex-Mex cookbook (1998). An…
Texas Tommy (dance)
The "Texas Tommy" was a popular dance about 1910-1913; it was even danced in the White House. The "Texas Tommy" dance was popularized around San Francisco, and was originated by…