Staten Italy (Staten Island + Italy)
The borough of Staten Island has long had a large Italian-American population. "Staten Italy," however, is a recent nickname for the borough. Wikipedia: Staten IslandStaten Island…
Archive for 09/2007
Texas Tuscan (architecture)
"Texas Tuscan" is a style of architecture -- often in the Texas Hill Country such as west Austin -- the attempts to resemble the Tuscan villas. "Texas Tuscan" may also apply to…
Dallas Palace
A "Dallas palace" is what is known to most of Texas as a "big hair house," and known to most of America as a "McMansion." The term "Dallas palace" is used in…
Big Hair House
Texas has been known since at least the 1970s and 1980s as a place of "big hair." The Texas version of a "McMansion" is the "big hair house." Wikipedia:…
Texas Death Match (wrestling)
A "Texas death match" is a wrestling term used to advertise extreme wrestling, first cited in 1955. Early advertisements stated "no fall limits" and "no time limits."…
“Where was Jesus born?” (Palestine, Texas joke)
With a city name like Palestine (in East Texas), comparisons and jokes are inevitable. Wikipedia: Palestine, TexasPalestine (pronounced ˈpæl.ɛs.tin) is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the…
Late Train (post-election political contributions)
If you've bet on the wrong horse in an election, there are no worries in Texas. You can always catch the "late train" by making a late election or post-election contribution to the…
Yankee Dime (a kiss)
A "Yankee dime" is a quick kiss. The term is often said to be from Texas, and said to derive from the Civil War. "Yankee dime" is cited in print from 1846, and is popular…
Minnesota Strip (Eighth Avenue, near Port Authority Bus Terminal)
In the 1960s and 1970s, the area of Eighth Avenue between the Port Authority Bus Terminal (42nd Street) and 59th Street became overrun with teenage prostitutes from the Midwest and was dubbed the…
“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…
Wheatheart of the Nation (Perryton slogan)
Perryton (in Ochiltree County) was a leading wheat producer, and in 1947 it held the title "Wheatheart of the Nation." ("Wheatheart of the Plains" is also used.) An annual…
Baghdad-on-the-Bayou (Houston nickname)
Houston is often called "the Bayou City" because of its historic location on the Buffalo Bayou. Short-story writer O. Henry (1852-1910) -- who lived in Texas as well as New York City --…
Bayou City (Houston nickname)
The city of Houston was planned in 1836, named after war hero Sam Houston. The nickname "Bayou City" comes from Houston's location on the Buffalo Bayou, and is recorded in print from…
Baghdad-on-the-Bayou (New Orleans nickname)
After Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of New Orleans in 2005, several commentators nicknamed that city "Baghdad-on-the-Bayou." The comparison was with Baghdad, Iraq, where a war was…
Toughest Town in Texas (Luling slogan)
Many towns in Texas claimed to be the roughest and the toughest in all Texas. For many reasons, the slogan "Toughest Town in Texas" stuck the most to Luling. The slogan is historical and…
Second Biggest Paris in the World (Second Largest Paris in the World)
Paris, Texas has advertised that it is the "Second Biggest Paris in the World" (or "Second Largest Paris in the World") to Paris, France. Wikipedia: Paris, TexasParis is a city…
Border Burger (South of the Border Burger; Tex-Mex Burger)
"Border Burger" has a nice ring to it, but it's also called a "South of the Border Burger" ("SOB" Burger) or a "Tex-Mex Burger." The hamburger sandwich…
“Honk if I’m an Aggie” (bumper sticker)
"Honk if you love Jesus" was a popular bumper sticker saying from 1971. The bumper sticker spawned lots of other "Honk if you..." imitations, but one notable "Honk if…
“Fellow-countrymen, follow me to yonder saloon!” (shortest-ever Texas political speech?)
"Fellow-countrymen, follow me to yonder saloon!" is said to be the shortest speech ever given by a Texas politician. A Kinky Friedman book declared this to be one of "actual quotes…
Texas Coleslaw (Texas Cole Slaw)
Texas coleslaw (or "cole slaw") is a popular side dish for a Texas barbecue. Coleslaw is a cabbage salad, but a "Texas coleslaw" applies some heat to this by adding dry mustard…