“Alamo has no back door” (Maury Maverick, Jr.)
John F. Kennedy was speaking at the Alamo in 1960. There were crowds at the plaza in front of the Alamo, so he asked if the Alamo had a back door. "There is no back door to the Alamo,"…
“All barbecue experts are self-proclaimed”
Calvin Trillin reported on Texas barbecue for The New Yorker's food issue in November 2008. Trillin wrote: "Greg Curtis once reminded me that 'all barbecue experts are…
“All broth and no beans”
"All broth and no beans" is another way for a Texan to say "All hat and no cattle." In other words, "all puffery and no substance." The phrase doesn't appear to…
“All gurgle and no guts”
"All gurgle and no guts" is a saying that has been printed on several images. The saying is popular in Texas and is used to describe someone who is boastful, but doesn't have the…
“All things are possible with coffee and cowboy boots”
"All things are possible with coffee and cowboy boots" is a saying that has been printed on many images. "All things are possible with coffee and cowboy boots" (shown on an…
“America: Texas and 49 bitches”
"United States of America: You mean Texas and its 49 bitches" (or "America: Texas and 49 bitches") is a Texas saying that has been printed on many images. The "49…
“America’s Motor Lunch” & “A Tasty Meal Served at Your Wheel” (Pig Stand slogans)
The Pig Stand opened in 1921 in Dallas and claims to be America's first true "drive-in" restaurant. The company expanded throughout Texas and then the United States, then declared…
“An atheist is a man who buys a ticket to the Notre Dame-SMU game and doesn’t care who wins”
SMU and Notre Dame both had great football teams in the 1950s, and both are Christian-based universities. A famous quip became: "An atheist is a man who buys a ticket to the Notre Dame-SMU…
“And the horse you rode in on”
"...and the horse you rode in on" (there's a first part to that -- see the citations below) appears (at first glance) to be from some western movie. Citations have been found from…
“Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it took a carpenter to build it” (Sam Rayburn)
Sam Rayburn (1882-1961) was a distinguishment Speaker of the House as a Texas Congressman. When the Democrats lost power, he wondered about the Republicans and how they'd treat the programs…
“Armadillo implies the existence of legadillo”
An armadillo exists, but a legadillo does not. "No one panic but an armadillo implies the existence of a handadillo and perhaps even a legadillo" was posted on X/Twitter by feral weasel…
“As goes South Texas, so goes the U.S. crop”
South Texas contains some large agricultural areas. "As goes South Texas, so goes the U.S. crop" is said to be an old saying, indicating that South Texas is the bellwether for American…
“As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party”
"As welcome/popular as a skunk at a lawn party/garden party/picnic" means not very welcome or popular at all. The saying has been cited in print since at least 1898, when the novel David…
“At GM, you form a committee on snakes, then hire a consultant…” (Ross Perot)
Texas billionaire H. Ross Perot did not like the practices at General Motors, the company that bought Perot's Electronic Data Systems. GM, Perot said, bogs things down with a committee system.…
“Australians are just British Texans”
Australia has some big cities, but also lots of open spaces -- like the state of Texas. Australians are sometimes called "British Texans." "An observant US buddy nailed our…
“Bacon Strip” District
A "bacon strip district" is an electoral district like the one in the Rio Grande Valley (25th Congressional District) that's long and thin and can go on for hundreds of miles. The…
“Barbecue is as old as fire”
"Barbecue is as old as fire" writes John Egerton in his book Southern Food. A 1973 newspaper article about barbecue declared that "the practice is as old as fire." New York…
“Barbecue sauce is like a beautiful woman. If it’s too sweet, it’s bound to be hiding something”
The Texas Monthly June 2008 issue featured "The Top 50 BBQ Joints in Texas." On page 135 was Texas musician Lyle Lovett's Ode to Sauce: "BARBECUE SAUCE is like a beautiful…
“BBQ is delicious. Blueberries are tart. If y’all don’t love Texas, well bless your heart”
A Texas poem was posted on X/Twitter by Texas Humor on January 15, 2016: "BBQ is good Blueberries are tart If you don't like Texas Well bless your heart." "BBQ is tasty..."…
“BBQ is good. Blueberries are tart. If you don’t like Texas, well bless your heart”
A Texas poem was posted on X/Twitter by Texas Humor on January 15, 2016: "BBQ is good Blueberries are tart If you don't like Texas Well bless your heart." "BBQ is tasty..."…