Mollete
Molletes (Spanish for "cheeks") were originally soft round white bread served in Spain. In Mexico, however, molletes are bolillos (similar to French bread) made into an open-face sandwich…
Molotes (Oaxacan “cigars”)
Molotes ("cigars") is popular dish of Oaxaca, Mexico, consisting of corn masa for tortillas and usually filled with chorizo and potato. The antojito (appetizer or snack) slowly entered…
Mom ‘n ‘em (Mom an’ ‘em)
"Mom 'n 'em" (or "mom an' 'em," also hyphenated as "mom-n-em" or "mom-an-em") means "mom and them," usually used as a greeting…
Monkey Bread
Monkey bread was probably invented in the 1940s or 1950s. Monkey bread pulls apart; why that is named after a monkey is anyone's guess. Gorilla bread is similar, adding cream cheese and…
Moonlight Towers & Moonlight City (Austin nickname)
Austin is the only city in the country that has "moonlight towers." In 1894, 31 arc light towers (165 feet tall) were purchased by the city of Austin from the city of Detroit. Seventeen…
Mop Sauce (Mopping Sauce; Moppin’ Sauce)
Mop sauce (also "mopping sauce" or "moppin' sauce") is also known as basting sauce. It's "mopped" on to barbecue while the food is turned. President Lyndon…
MOPAC (Missouri-Pacific; Loop 1; More Packed; More Parked; SLOPAC; SLOWPAC)
MOPAC (also "MoPac" or "Loop 1") is a highway in west Austin. The highway was built along the Missouri Pacific Railroad, hence the "MOPAC" name. For those who've…
Moscow on the Colorado (Austin nickname)
The city of Austin is located on the Colorado River and is home to the University of Texas. The city (and university) has been attributed to have such liberal and anti-American leanings that some…
Moscow-on-the-Brazos (Austin nickname)
Austin is known to be more liberal than the rest of the state of Texas. "Moscow-on-the-Brazos" is a seldom used nickname for the town, borrowed from "Moscow on the Hudson…
Most Air-Conditioned City in the Nation (Houston slogan)
"Houston's hot," as the saying goes. Since the 1940s, to attract tourists and conventions, Houston has promoted itself as "the most air-conditioned city in the nation." No…
Mother of Texas (Jane Long)
Jane Herbert Wilkinson Long (1798-1880) was called the "mother of Texas" by at least 1894. Long came to Texas in 1819 and was one of the first Anglo women (although not the very first) in…
Mother-in-Law of the Army (San Antonio nickname)
San Antonio is home to Fort Sam Houston and other military bases. So many military men (including Dwight D. Eisenhower) married women while serving in the San Antonio area that the city has been…
Mother-in-Law Sandwich (tamale with chili, usually in a hot dog bun)
A "mother-in-law sandwich" is -- according to an old joke that dates back to at least the early 1950s -- cold shoulder and tongue. The currently popular "mother-in-law sandwich"…
Mount Bonnell (place name)
Mount Bonnell is a popular tourist destination in Austin, offering excellent views. It had long been thought that the name came from George W. Bonnell (?-1842), who moved to Austin in 1839 and…
Mountain Oyster (or Prairie Oyster)
"Mountain oysters" (also called "Rocky Mountain oysters" or "prairie oysters" or "calf fries," among many other names) are the testicles of animals,…
Mr. Bojangles (person and song title)
"Mr. Bojangles" is a 1968 song title by Jerry Jeff Walker (a popular performer on the Austin music scene, especially in the 1970s). The song describes a dancer, known throughout the…
Mr. Brown (“Mr. Brown Goes to Town”) & Miss White (BBQ terms for light/inside and dark/outside meat)
"Mr. Brown" means the dark, smoky outside of pork barbecue, and "Miss White" (sometimes "Mrs. White" or "Ms White") means the light, moist inside of pork…
Muffuletta (Muffaletta; Mufalatta; Muff Sandwich)
The "muffuletta" (or "muffaletta" or any number of spellings) is a sandwich that is served in a large, round loaf of crusty Sicilian bread, with three meats (capicola, salami,…
Mulita
Entry in progress -- B.P. Wikipedia: TacoAlso prepared on the grill is a sandwiched taco called mulita ("little mule") made with meat served between two tortillas and garnished with…
Mumblecore
"Mumblecore" films have low budgets, unknown actors and often improvised scripts, with the actors seemingly mumbling their lines. Sound editor Eric Masunaga coined the term while at…