Red Grapefruit (State Fruit)
The Texas Red Grapefruit is the official state fruit of Texas, pronounced by the Texas legislature in 1993. A few years later, the Texas legislature would name the city of Weslaco the Citrus…
Buildings/Housing/Parks
Red Hook (cocktail)
Red Hook used to be a rough area of Brooklyn filled with longshoremen, but Red Hook is rapidly being gentrified. In 2008, New York City's first IKEA store opened there. The Red Hook cocktail…
Red Hooker (inhabitant of Red Hook, Brooklyn)
"Red Hooker" is the name of an inhabitant of Red Hook, in the borough of Brooklyn. The name "Red Hooker" has been cited in print since at least 1870. "Red Hooker" is…
Red Hots
"Red hots" came into use before the term "hot dogs." Some say that Harry Stevens coined "red hots" at the Polo Grounds in the early 1900s. Like the standard "hot…
Red Ink (cheap red wine)
"Red ink" has been a nickname for "cheap red wine" since at least 1863. The nickname was frequently used in Italian restaurants in America, which were called "red ink…
Red Light District
The origin of the term "red light district" is unknown. The term "red light district" is cited in Lousville in 1896, Denver in 1897, and New York City, Houston and San Antonio…
Red Mike and Violets (corned beef and cabbage)
"Red Mike and violets" was hash house slang for a dish of "corned beef and cabbage." Corned beef is red, cabbage is violet and "Mike" is a traditional Irish name.…
Red River Rivalry (Texas Longhorns vs. Oklahoma Sooners)
The football games between the Oklahoma Sooners and the Texas Longhorns have been called the "Red River Rivalry" (or "Red River Rumble," "Red River Rundown,"…
Red Square (and the Lenin statue)
A red brick apartment building put up in 1989 at East Houston Street and Avenue A was named "Red Square." In 1994, a statue of Lenin was added to the top of the building. A conversation…
Red State/Blue State
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Red state and blue stateThe terms "red states" and "blue states" came into use in 2000 to refer to those states of the United States whose…
Red Taco
Red tacos are a specialty at the Casa Manana in Wichita Falls (established 1947). Red tacos also can be found at Benny's Cafe in Del Rio and Border Burgers in Eagle Pass. One citation below…
Red Tag Sale
A "tag sale" is a retail sale where the sale items bear a colored tag. "Red tag sale" has been cited in print since at least 1888, "blue tag sale" since at least 1890…
Red Tail Hawk Capital (Kaufman nickname)
Entry in progress -- B.P. http://www.tsl.state.tx.us/ref/abouttx/capitals.htmlOfficial Capital Designations Wikipedia: Kaufman, TexasKaufman is a city in Kaufman County, Texas, United States. The…
Red Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Cake (a cake with red layers) has been a mystery. Was it invented at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City? Was it invented in the South? Was it invented in Canada? Where, and when?…
Red-Eye Gravy (Redeye Gravy; Red Gravy; Red Ham Gravy)
"Red-eye gravy" was first called "red gravy" and then "red ham gravy." Red gravy (from cured ham) was served through the South in the 19th century, in states such as…
Redbird and Brightliner trains
The "Redbird" trains began in the 1950s and the "Brightliner" trains began in the 1960s. http://www.nycsubway.org/faq/cartypes.htmlR-26, R-28, R-29, R-33, R-36: Mainline IRT…
Redmen, Red Storm (St. John’s teams)
St. John's teams wore red. Many teams were known for the color of their uniforms: Harvard Crimson, Syracuse Orangemen, Columbia Blue and White, NYU Violets. In the 1920s, the St. John's…
Redneck Rock (Progressive Country)
The music produced in Austin in the 1970s (mostly at the famed Armadillo World Headquarters, or at Willie Nelson's concerts) was a mixture of many styles, including country and rock. Jan…
Redwash (communist red + whitewash)
"Redwash" (communist red + whitewash) is similar to such terms as "greenwash" (about the "green" environmental movement) and "pinkwash" (about the…
Redwash (redskin + whitewash)
"Redwash" (redskin + whitewash) is similar to such terms as "greenwash" (about the "green" environmental movement) and "pinkwash" (about the "pink"…