Bear Sign (doughnuts)
"Bear sign" is a cowboy term for doughnuts. In the Pacific Northwest, "bear sign" means berry jam. "Bear sign" is first recorded from the 1830s to mean "bear…
Archive for 01/2007
Dead Man’s Hand
The "dead man's hand" is a two-pair poker hand that also appears in Texas hold 'em. The hand is widely believed to be aces and eights, but early citations show jacks and eights,…
“Whole kit and caboodle”
"The whole kit and caboodle" is an older expression for what we might nowadays say is "the whole nine yards" -- that is, "everything." In the 1800s, the phrase was…
“Between hay and grass”
"Between hay and grass" is said of the seasons, it being neither winter nor summer. It's also said of a young person, not a boy (or a girl) and not yet a man (or a woman). Old West…
Kolache Capital of Texas (Caldwell); Home of the Official Kolache (West)
The kolache (a Czech pastry) is so important that there have been two bills before the Texas leagislature! In 1989, the city of Caldwell was declared the "Kolache Capital of Texas." Then,…
Daffodil Capital of Texas (Round Rock nickname)
Round Rock was declared the "Daffodil Capital of Texas" by the Texas legislature in 2003. Round Rock holds an annual Daffodil Festival; the daffodil association began in the 1990s when…
Hail Mary (1975 Roger Staubach pass)
The famous "Hail Mary" pass was Dallas Cowboys quarterback Roger Staubach's throw to wide receiver Drew Pearson in a December 28, 1975 football game against the Minnesota Vikings.…