Expendables (children in drug smuggling operations)
An October 2011 Reuters news report detailed that Mexican drug cartels recruit Texas children for their operations. The drug gangs named the children "the expendables." The name was…
Explosion Coast
Port Arthur is home to several petrochemical industries; several explosions have occurred in the 2000s. The nickname "Explosion Coast" has been cited in print in October 2010, but…
Fajita
Fajitas became popular in Texas in the 1970s. I helped find the OED's two earliest entries. "Chicken fajitas" have sparked a debate among word purists who insist that the chicken has…
Fajitadilla (Fajita + Quesadilla)
A "fajitadilla" is a combination of a "fajita" and a "quesadilla." A large flour tortilla is filled with fajita chicken (or beef) and melted cheese. The term…
False Alarm Chili (1-Alarm Chili; 2-Alarm Chili; 3-Alarm Chili)
Fire departments have their false alarms, two-alarm fires, three-alarm fires, etc. This alarm system to describe the hotness of chili was first used by Wick Fowler, Dallas newspaperman and chili…
Fat Antonio (San Antonio nickname)
The city of San Antonio is often surveyed to have some of the fattest people in the United States. Some attribute this to the warm weather, which forces people to stay indoors in air-conditioned…
Father of Texas (Stephen F. Austin); Father of Texas Day (Nov. 3)
The "father of Texas" is Stephen F. Austin (1793-1836) and "Father of Texas Day" is his November 3rd birthday. Austin helped bring people to the city of Waterloo -- later…
Father of the Texas Panhandle (Charles Goodnight; George Tyng)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Charles GoodnightCharles Goodnight (March 5, 1836 – December 12, 1929) was a cattle rancher in the American West, perhaps the best known rancher in Texas. He…
Fauxl (faux + fall)
Texas is sometimes given more than four seasons. One extra season is called "fake fall" or "false fall" or "faux fall," sometimes called "fauxl." "Faux…
Felon City; Wicked Sticks; Kliffside (Bacliff nicknames)
Bacliff is an unincorporated town in Galveston County, formerly called Clifton-by-the-Sea. A September 9, 2008 article in the Houston (TX) Press detailed the crime in Bacliff and some of the…
Fiddler General (“Couldn’t get elected Fiddler General”)
"Fiddler General" is a fictitious position in government. When David G. Burnet ran for president of Texas against Sam Houston in 1841, it was allegedly said that Burnet…
Fiesta City or Fiesta Capital (San Antonio nickname)
San Antonio has held an annual Fiesta since the 1890s. One of the many nicknames of the city of San Antonio is "Fiesta City" (or, less frequently, "Fiesta Capital"). The…
First Monday Trade Days (Horse Monday; Dog Monday)
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: Canton, TexasCanton is a city in Van Zandt County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,292. It is the county seat…
Fish Taco (Lobster Taco)
The "taco" is a Mexican sandwich wrapped in a tortilla, usually containing meat. The "fish taco" became popular in the United States when Ralph Rubio first sold them from his…
Fixens; Fixins; Fixings
Fixens (or "fixins" or "fixings") are trimmings, the sides of any dish, or food itself. "Chicken fixings" are prepared chicken. The terms became popular about 1837.…
Fixin’ to
"Fixin' to" ("fixing to") is a standard feature of Southern American English and dates from at least 1843. “‘Fixin’ to’ is the official verb of Texas” and…
Flag City (Edna nickname)
The city of Edna is called "Flag City" because of its show of support for the Vietnam War in 1967-68. Mayor A. D. Tinker got fed up after he saw the anti-war demonstrations at the…
Flaquita (Flaco; Flaquities)
"Flaquita" (from the word "flaco") is Spanish for "little skinny one." It is the opposite of the "gordita," or "little fat one." Trudy's…
Flaquito
What is a "flaquito" (little skinny one)? And how is it any different from a "flauta" (flute") or a "taquito"? A "flaquito" is a flour tortilla rolled…
Flash Drought
A "flash drought" is similar to a "flash flood." In a flash drought, a sudden, unexpected burst of high temperatures and low humidity comes into an area and stays for an…