Top Dog (a boss or leader)
The term "top dog" means to be the boss (or leader), or to be victorious. The term "top dog in the fight" was cited frequently in the early 1860s. "Whether he's top…
Government/Law/Military/Religion /Health
Top Dollar
To get "top dollar" on a used car or other item is to get the best price (the most money) for it -- a dollar amount that can't be topped. The term "top dollar" has been…
Top of Texas (Pampa slogan)
The city of Pampa is the second-largest in the Texas Panhandle, located at the top of Texas. In 1937, Pampa hosted a "Top of Texas Fiesta" (or "Top o' Texas Fiesta"). Pampa…
Top Shelf (premium or best quality liquor)
'Top shelf" means "top notch," or something that is premium or high quality. "Top shelf" has been cited in print since the 19th century, but "top shelf" (or…
Toppy
"Toppy" means that a stock (or the stock market) is at or near a "top," so buying is risky and selling might be in order. "Toppy" can be a matter of opinion; one stock…
Torikatsu or Tori Katsu (Chicken Katsu)
"Tonkatsu" is a Japanese dish of deep-fried pork cutlets. The cutlets are coated with panko, a Japanese brand of flaky bread crumbs. Chicken cutlets -- instead of pork -- are often made,…
Tornado Alley
Texas is in the "Tornado Alley" that includes several states. The weather term dates from at least 1948. Wikipedia: Tornado AlleyTornado Alley is a colloquial term most often used in…
Toronto the Good (Toronto, Canada nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Other Toronto nicknames include "Big Smoke," "Broadway North," "Centre of the Universe," "Hogtown," "Hollywood North,"…
Torpedo Sandwich
Entry in progress -- B.P. The long list of the names of sandwiches served on long rolls includes blimpie, bomber, Cuban (medianoche), Dagwood, garibaldi, gondola, grinder, hero, hoagie, Italian,…
Torpedo Soup (Malaysian bull’s penis soup)
"Torpedo soup" (called "sup torpedo" in Malaysian) or "beef torpedo" is a bull's penis soup, and is, supposedly, an aphrodisiac. "How many tourists would…
Tortilla
The tortilla (frm the Spanish word "torta") is used a a wrap for many Tex-Mex foods, such as burritos. The corn tortilla is the traditional one, but there are now flour and wheat…
Tortilla Chip
Tortilla chips are are small, crispy fried wedges of corn tortillas. In 2003, Texas declared "tortilla chips and salsa" to be the official state snack. The snack is often (but not always)…
Tortilla Chips and Salsa (State Snack)
"Tortilla chips and salsa" is the official state snack of Texas. Yes, there is an official state snack of Texas! The combination is an obvious one, but it became popular with commercial…
Tortilla Curtain & Cactus Curtain
After World War II, Winston Churchill declared that an "iron curtain" had descended upon Eastern Europe. Later, there would be a Berlin Wall. The purpose of the iron curtain and the…
Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla)
Tortilla soup (sopa de tortilla in Spanish) contains strips of corn tortillas added to various other soup ingredients. The dish appears to have originated in Mexico City and can be found in the…
Tortilla Soup or Sopa de Tortilla (Aztec Soup or Sopa Azteca)
Tortilla Soup (Sopa de Tortilla) is often called Aztec Soup (Sopa Azteca) in Mexico. Tortilla soup is one of the most popular soups in Texas; El Mirador in San Antonio is famous for its Sopa Azteca…
Torture All Kids Severely (“TAKS” backronym)
TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) is a standardized test that replaced other tests in 2003. TAKS has been given the backronymic (back acronym) nickname "Torture All Kids…
Torygraph (Telegraph nickname)
nin progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: The Daily TelegraphThe Daily Telegraph is a broadsheet newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed across the United Kingdom and…
Tosc-Mex or Tusc-Mex (Tuscany, Italy + Tex-Mex cuisine)
What would a restaurant serving Italian + Tex-Mex cuisine be like? The restaurant Matilda opened in New York City in late 2007, offering a mix of Tuscany (Toscana) and Mexico that it called…
Tostada (Tostado)
"Tostada" (or the less-used "tostado") is simply Spanish for "toasted." By the 1930s, tostadas (fried tortillas) were advertised as "original Mexican corn…