Cup Cake (Cupcake)
The origin of the "cup cake" (or "cupcake") is unknown, but the food name appears in American cookbooks, beginning in 1828. It is possible that the cupcake originated in the…
Archive for /P38620
Jalapeño Chicken (Chinese restaurant recipe)
"Jalapeño Chicken" is offered at several Chinese restaurants, especially in and around Austin, Texas. The state pepper of Texas is the jalapeño. The recipe (cited from the 1990s)…
“Why did the chicken cross the road?”/“To show the armadillo it could be done!”
The ancient joke "Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? A: To get to the other side!" gets a Texas twist when the armadillo is added. A famous Texas phrase is: "There's nothing…
“You no longer associate bridges over rivers with water” (Texas heat joke)
One of the items on popular "You Know You Are in Texas When..." internet lists is: "You no longer associate bridges over rivers with water." It's hot in Texas, but 2007…
“Remember Noah and the ark, when it rained 40 days and 40 nights?” (Texas weather joke)
Texas has plenty of jokes about the lack of rain in some parts of the state. The "Noah and the flood" joke is popular on the internet and has been told about other states (California, New…
“How do you pronounce the name of this place?” (Mexia)
How do you pronounce the name of Mexia, Texas? There's even an old joke about this! Mexia Area Chamber of Commercea great placeno matter how you say it Wikipedia: Mexia, TexasMexia (pronounced…
“Thermostrocka Mortimer” or “Thermostrocker Mortimer” (Cactus Pryor)
"Thermostrocka Mortimer" (or "Thermostrocker Mortimer") is the broadcasting signoff of longtime Austinite Richard "Cactus" Pryor. Pryor's words are believed to be…
Arklatex (Ark-La-Tex, ArkLaTex, also Arklatexoma)
"Arklatex" (also spelled "Ark-La-Tex" and ""ArkLaTex") is a regional name composed of the state names of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. Sometimes Oklahoma is…
Strap Buckner and the Devil
Strap Buckner (Aylett C. Buckner, 1794-1832) was one of the original 300 settlers of the city of Austin. He was a big man and was famous for slapping citizens on the back very hard, knocking them…
Mozzarepa (mozzarella + arepa)
"Mozzarepa" (or "MozzArepa") is a commercial product that was trademarked in 1996 and combines "mozzarella" (cheese) sandwiched inside an "arepa" (corn-based…
Arepa (“Arepa Lady”)
An "arepa" is a corn-based bread popular in South American countries such as Colombia and Venezuela. The "Arepa Lady" is the popular vendor of arepas in New York City,…
Big A (Aqueduct Racetrack nickname)
Aqueduct racetrack is popularly known as "the Big A." Clark Whelton (a former writer for the Village Voice and member of the mayor's communications office) told me that he believed…
Big Sandy (Belmont Park nickname)
"Big Sandy" is the nickname of the racetrack at Belmont Park, perhaps a reflection of the old 1920s "Big Apple" name for the New York racetracks and the "Big A"…
Dallass (Dallas nickname)
"Dallass" (or "DallASS") is a spelling for some people who do not like the city of Dallas or the Dallas Cowboys. It's sometimes used with "Texass" to form…
Texsucks (Texsux)
"Texsucks" or "Texsux" (sometimes spelled "TexSux" and frequently lowercase "texsucks" and "texsux") is a spelling for some people who just…
Kemp Morgan (legendary superhuman oil driller)
Kemp Morgan is a Paul Bunyan-type of mythological giant, to Texas oil drilling what Pecos Bill is to Texas cowboys. The origin of the Kemp Morgan stories is unknown. The lack of any mention of Kemp…
Cuban Hamburger (Frita)
A "Cuban hamburger" that's served in Florida might look like a hamburger covered with shoestring potatoes, spiced with paprika and onion, and topped with mojito sauce. The…
Pecos Bill (legendary superhuman cowboy)
"Pecos Bill" really did exist and was the nickname of William Rufus Shafter (1835-1906), a United States Army officer. The mythical cowboy "Pecos Bill" appeared in 1923, in the…
Club Sandwich (Club House Sandwich; Clubhouse Sandwich)
The "club sandwich" probably originated at the Union Club of the City of New York in the 1880s. The World (New York, NY) printed on November 18, 1889: "Have you tries a Union Club…
Great Wall of Texas (border wall)
The proposed "Great Wall of Texas" is a border wall to prevent illegal immigration from Mexico. The name borrows from the famous Great Wall of China. In the 1980s, a Great Wall of Texas…