NoDo (Houston’s North of Downtown area)
"NoDo" (north of downtown) is a neighborhood nickname (like New York City's "SoHo" for "South of Houston Street") first used in Denver, Colorado, dating from…
Archive for 05/2008
Juice Box (Minute Maid Park nickname)
"Juice Box" is the nickname of Houston's Minute Maid Park, home of baseball's Houston Astros. The hitter-friendly park was called Enron Field when it opened in 2000, but was…
“World’s Greatest Hamburgers” (Fuddruckers slogan)
Fuddruckers is a chain of hamburger restaurants that started in San Antonio in 1980. The hamburgers (1/2 pound of beef) are large, and there is a fixins bar for customers to dress their burgers.…
“We Buy Ugly Houses” (HomeVestors slogan)
"We Buy Ugly Houses" is the slogan (since 2000) of HomeVestors, a Dallas-based real estate franchise that began in 1989. HomeVestors buys "ugly" houses (i.e., houses that…
Crazy Rasberry Ant (Rasberry Ant; Crazy Ant; Caribbean Crazy Ant)
Tom Rasberry, owner of Budget Pest Control in the Pearland area (near Houston), discovered an ant in 2002 that didn't appear to be like the fire ants typically found in Texas. This ant does…
Texas Hot Peanuts
This appears to be the only recipe for Texas Hot Peanuts, duplicated many times on the web. Entry in progress -- B.P. 12 December 1984, Paris (TX) News, pg. 1C, col. 2:TEXAS HOT PEANUTS1 pound…
“Bottle of Pearl, please!” (Pearl Beer slogan)
"A bottle of Pearl, please!" has been part of Pearl Beer's advertising since 1937. Another famous Pearl Beer slogan is "From the country of 1100 springs." The Pearl Brewery…
Herroner (her honor)
"Herroner" ("her honor") is the feminine equivalent of "hizzoner" ("his honor"). While "hizzoner" dates back to 1880s Chicago, "herroner"…
Hub of the Plains (Lubbock nickname)
Lubbock has been called the "Hub of the Plains" (or "Hub City of the Plains" or "Hub City") since at least 1909. Oliver Wendell Holmes, in his book The Autocrat of the…
“Lubbock, Hub City of the Plains (slowest moving part of the wheel)”
Lubbock has been called the "Hub City of the Plains" because the city is the economic engine of the South Plains. By at least 1996, bumper stickers declared that Lubbock was the "Hub…
Swamp Pie
Entry in progress. Baby comes first -- B.P. Cooking IndexCopeland's Of New Orleans' Swamp PieCourses: Dessert, Pies Recipe Ingredients20 oz Graham cracker crumbs 6 oz Chocolate fudge 1/2…
“America’s Motor Lunch” & “A Tasty Meal Served at Your Wheel” (Pig Stand slogans)
The Pig Stand opened in 1921 in Dallas and claims to be America's first true "drive-in" restaurant. The company expanded throughout Texas and then the United States, then declared…
Hamlet on the Hudson (Hamlet of the Hudson)
New York Governor Mario Cuomo gave the keynote speech at the 1984 Democratic National Convention, and he was strongly considered a presidential candidate in 1988 and 1992, but he never ran. Cuomo…
Crumblin’ (Crumble-In)
Cornbread and milk is a popular dish in the South, especially so in the 19th century and early 20th century. There usually is no proper name for cornbread and milk, but when the cornbread is…
Houston Pest (Houston Post nickname)
The Houston Post was a daily newspaper published in the city of Houston from the 1880s until 1995. The Post's nickname of Houston Pest is cited in print from at least 1993. The Houston…
Austin Comical (Austin Chronicle nickname)
The Austin Chronicle is a weekly alternative newspaper published in Austin, Texas since 1981. The Chronicle has been -- infrequently -- called the Comical since at least 1997. The Houston Chronicle…
Houston Comical (Houston Chronicle nickname)
The Houston Chronicle is a daily newspaper published in Houston, Texas. The Chronicle began in 1901 and now has the ninth largest newspaper circulation in the United States and the largest in…
Luckenbach on the Llano (Castell nickname)
Castell is a tiny town in Llano County, on the Llano river. Tourists come to Castell to go kayaking and fly fishing. Randy Leifeste, owner of the Castell General Store, has called his town…
Great God Beef Dish (chicken fried steak)
Jerry Flemmons (1936-1999) was a popular writer on the Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram. His 1983 essay on chicken fried steak -- "that Great God beef dish" -- is widely quoted. Society of…
FoHi (Forest Hills)
Forest Hills is a residential neighborhood in Queens that has neither a forest (although there are many tree-lined areas) nor hills. Real estate abbreviation reached Forest Hills by at least 2006,…