Piloncillo (Mexican Brown Sugar)
Piloncillo is unrefined brown sugar from Mexico that comes in a small conical shape. Piloncillo is served in drinks such as Cafe de Olla and champurrado., and the sugar can also be used in moles…
Pine Curtain
East Texas is home to the Piney Woods. For some people, the wooded area is the "pine curtain" -- another "-curtain" expression borrowed from Winston Churchill's famous…
Pinky Friedman (pink cocktail named after Kinky Friedman)
The "Pinky Friedman" cocktail was first created in 2005 and named after Texas author and then-gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman. The pink drink contains Paula's Texas Orange…
Pinto Bean
The pinto bean (usually from New Mexico) is included in many Tex-Mex recipes. I found the first citation now used in the Oxford English Dictionary. About.com: Southern U.S. CuisineTexas-Style…
Pistolette or Pistolet (French roll for Cajun sandwich)
A "pistolette" (the more frequent form, also spelled "pistolet") is a French roll, cited in English (in European contexts) since at least the 1850s. "Pistolettes" are…
Pitmaster (Pit Master)
A "pitmaster" (or "pit master") is the chef of a barbecue pit. The term "barbecue pit master" has been cited in print since at least 1961, but "pitmaster"…
Pizzadilla (pizza + quesadilla)
A "pizzadilla" (pizza + quesadilla) usually has circular bread covered with toppings (like pizza), but also had a layer of bread on top. Recipes vary; one website says the cut pizzadilla…
Plano Princess
Plano is a suburb of Dallas, rated by Forbes one of the "Top Suburbs To Live Well." Many Plano husbands have high-paying tech jobs and the Plano housewives -- who are perhaps too spoiled…
Planoite (inhabitant of Plano)
"Planoite” is the name of an inhabitant of Plano, Texas. The name “Planoite” has been cited in print since at least 1895. Wikipedia: Plano, TexasPlano ( /ˈpleɪnoʊ/) is a city in the…
Playground of the Southwest (Galveston nickname)
Galveston has been called the "Playground of the Southwest" since at least 1911, A 1918 newspaper explained the nickname: "An excellent beach, fishing, hunting, motoring and boating…
Pocho & Pochismo
"Pocho" is a term for a Mexican who lives in the United States. "Pochismo" is an English word given a Spanish form or pronunciation. "Pocho" is generally regarded as…
Pointy Boots
Texas Governor Rick Perry was frequently called "Pointy Boots" in June-July 2011, when Perry flirted with running for president. KLBJ-AM 590 (Austin) radio personality Jeff Ward used the…
Pole Tax (homophone of “poll tax”)
"Tits for tots" (a pun on "tit-for-tat") was the nickname pf a proposed 2004 Texas strip club tax that would, supposedly, have raised revenue for the education of Texas…
Politiquera (campaign worker or vote broker)
A "politiquera" is a "campaign worker" (or "vote broker") and is a familiar figure in South Texas. The politiqueras are mostly female, and they drive people to the…
Ponche Navideño or Ponche de Navidad (Mexican Christmas Punch)
Texans of Mexican heritage often serve a traditional Ponche Navideño or Ponche de Navidad (Christmas Punch). The drink is usually made with tecojotes (a Mexican fruit resembling a crabapple, not…
Pooch (puchera/puchero?)
"Pooch" was a cowboy stew of tomatoes, sugar, and bread. The name probably comes from the Spanish puchera or puchero, meaning a stew. However, more historical citations are needed;…
Poor Boy (four lane undivided highway)
A "poor boy highway" is a four-lane undivided highway (usually converted from a two-lane highway, with paved shoulders). It's a "poor boy's" way to make a four-lane…
Poor Boy Sandwich (Po’ Boy Sandwich)
The "poor boy" ("po' boy") sandwich began in New Orleans, about 1929, when it was popularized (or coined) by Benny and Clovis Martin. It's another regional sandwich…
Popo (Pissing Off a Police Officer?)
"Popo" is slang for a police officer. Some people think the word "popo" is an acronym for "pissing off a police officer." There is some evidence that this slang…
Poppy Seed Dressing
Poppy seed (or poppyseed) dressing is often associated with Helen Corbitt, the Dallas cookbook author and Neiman Marcus food manager in the 1940s and 1950s. She admitted that she helped to…