Conjunto
"Conjunto" is a "conjunction" of Mexican music with other traditions, such as Anglo-American fiddle music, swing, rhythm & blues, and rock & roll. Conjunto is also…
Archive for 03/2007
Norteño
"Norteño" (Spanish for "north" or "northern") means the people and the culture to the north of Mexico, near the Texas border. The musical culture is called…
Tejano
"Texas" comes from "Tejas" (supposedly meaning "friendship"), and "Tejano" is derived from this native word. "Tejano" means a native or inhabitant…
“Keep Texas Wild”
"Keep Texas Wild" is somewhat similar to the slogan "Keep Austin Weird," but it's for a good cause. "Keep Texas Wild" license plates feature a picture of the…
Red Ass
"Red ass" means to show great anger or passion. A Texas A&M Aggie who goes out of the way to show Aggie spirit is another definition of "red ass." Urban DictionaryRed Ass In…
Presidential Corridor
The "Presidential Corridor" is the road (or roads) between the Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library and Museum (opened in 1971, at the University of Texas at Austin) and the George Bush…
Texian
A "Texian" was a term used in 1835 and years thereafter for what is called a "Texan" today. "Texian" is almost never used today and is of historical interest. (Oxford…
Condotel (condo + hotel)
A "condotel" is a combination (or portmanteau) of the words "condo" and "hotel." Rooms in hotels are sold to buyers, who often rent them out (like a timeshare). It is…
Queso Fries
"Queso Fries" are a specialty of the Texicalli Grille in Austin, Texas. Several other restaurants throughout the country offer "queso fries," and it's not known if the…
“Nacogdoches is full of roaches” (Groucho Marx)
The Marx Brothers began their comedy career with ad-lib remarks while on the vaudeville circuit in 1912. "Nacogdoches is full of roaches" declared Groucho Marx during the routine.…
Texass (“The jackass is the finest flower of Texass”—Groucho Marx)
"Texass" is a derogatory name for Texas. The term is often used by people from Oklahoma, such as at an OU-UT football game. Groucho Marx -- when the Marx family was performing on the…
Mexicali (Mexicalli)
"Mexicali" (much less frequently spelled "Mexicalli") is from the names "Mexico" and "California." There is a town in Baja California (Mexico) called…
Texicali (Texicalli)
"Texicali" (or "Texicalli") is sometimes a blend of "Texas" and "California." The term has not been used too frequently, but it shows up as the name of an…
“Turn Around, Don’t Drown” (flash flood warning)
"Turn Around, Don't Drown" is the National Weather Service's warning (trademarked in 2003) to prevent fatalities from flash floods. Central Texas is known as "Flash Flood…
Texican
A "Texican" was (pre-1836) a person from Texas (then part of Mexico) of non-Mexican ancestry. After Texas became independent and then a state (post-1836), the term "Texican"…
Condo Coast
The "Condo Coast" is the lower west side of Manhattan (the Tribeca waterfront and more), where many condominium conversions were made beginning in the 1990s. New York magazine used the…
Cowboy Boots
Cowboy boots became the subject of "the official State Boot of Texas" legislation in 2007. There is no precise date of origin for the cowboy boot; it was adapted from military boots. The…
Poor Boy Sandwich (Po’ Boy Sandwich)
The "poor boy" ("po' boy") sandwich began in New Orleans, about 1929, when it was popularized (or coined) by Benny and Clovis Martin. It's another regional sandwich…
Poor Boy (four lane undivided highway)
A "poor boy highway" is a four-lane undivided highway (usually converted from a two-lane highway, with paved shoulders). It's a "poor boy's" way to make a four-lane…
Westside Manhattan (cocktail)
The Westside Manhattan is a new name for the classic Manhattan cocktail. Included are whiskey and vermouth -- Irish whiskey, as this drink is popular on St. Patrick's Day. Angostura bitters…