Toxicana (Texarkana nickname)
The city of Texarkana in Bowie County has three sites on the Environmental Protection Agency's National Priorities List for cleanup. An article by James Presley in the March 10, 1989 Texas…
Trainwreck (Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission or TNRCC nickname)
The Texas Air Control Board (1965-1993) and the Texas Water Commission (1985-1993) were consolidated in 1993 to form the Texas Natural Resource Conservation Commission (TNRCC). "TNRCC"…
Trashy Tuesday (Tuesday night gay bar-hopping in Dallas)
"Trashy Tuesday" is the name that some have applied to Tuesday night bar-hopping at gay bars on Fitzhugh Avenue in Dallas. In July 2008, the Crews Inn on Fitzhugh Avenue banned…
Treasure Island of America (Galveston nickname)
Galveston boasts the ruins of pirate Jean Lafitte's La Maison Rouge (1417 Avenue A near the Galveston wharf), destroyed in 1821 or 1822. In 1912, an enormous electric sign declared:…
Treaty Oak (of Austin)
Is the "Treaty Oak" of Austin fact or fiction? The Treaty Oak is located in Austin in a city park of Baylor Avenue, between Fifth and Sixth Streets. The tree is believed to be more than…
Tres Leches (three milks cake)
Tres leches ("three milks") is a cake that most probably originated in Nicaragua. In recent years, the cake has been served in Tex-Mex restaurants. Wikipedia: Tres leches cakeA Tres…
Triple A-Stros (Houston Astros nickname)
The Houston Astros baseball team went 76 wins-86 losses in 2010, 56 wins-106 losses in 2011, 55 wins-107 losses in 2012 and 51 wins-111 losses in 2013. They were so bad that New York (NY) Daily…
Triple Bypass Tour (Lockhart’s Black’s Barbecue, Kreuz Barbecue, Smitty’s Market)
The city of Lockhart has been called the "Barbecue Capital of Texas" by the Texas state legislature (1999). A tour of three of Lockhart's great barbecue places -- Black's…
Tropical Playground of Texas (Harlingen nickname)
The city of Harlingen in the lower Rio Grande Valley has been promoted as the "Tropical Playground of Texas." There are sub-tropical temperatures most of the year, palm trees and…
Tump
"Tump" means to "spill," "tip," "dump," or "knock over." The exact origin is unknown, but "tump" is popularly used in Texas. (Oxford…
Tunnel of Fudge Cake
"Tunnel of Fudge Cake" was the second-prize winning recipe in the 17th annual Pillsbury Bake-Off in 1966. Houston resident Ella Rita Helfrich invented the cake; Pillsbury promotions of…
Turbaconducken (Turducken wrapped in bacon)
A variation of "turkducken" (turkey + duck + chicken) is "turbaconducken" (turkey + bacon + duck + chicken). "Turbaconducken" was first posted on the blog Bacon Today…
Turd Blossom
"Turd Blossom" was a nickname for George W. Bush's adviser, Karl Rove. The term was popularized in 2001. A "turd blossom" is supposedly a Texas term for a flower that grows…
Turducken (Churkendoose; Chuckey; Churkey; Qua-duc-ant; Osturducken)
"Turducken" is a combination of turkey, duck, and chicken, all somehow stuffed together like Russian matryoshka nesting dolls. Trademark office records show that Paul Prudhomme claims a…
Turkey Dance (Thanksgiving football sack dance) & Funky Chicken Dance
The Dallas Cowboys traditionally play a home football game on Thanksgiving ("Turkey Day"). On November 27, 2008, the Cowboys defense recorded seven quarterback sacks. After each sack, the…
Turkey Tamale Pie (Turkey Tamales)
Tamales are often made with pork, but turkey tamales have been popular on Thanksgiving. "Turkey tamales" are cited in print from at least 1897. A turkey tamale pie often includes…
Twice as Nice & Where Life Is So Large It Takes Two States (Texarkana slogans)
"Twice as nice" and "Where life is so large it takes two states" are slogans of Texarkana. The city is really two cities -- Texarkana, Texas (Bowie County) and Texarkana,…
Tylerite (inhabitant of Tyler)
"Tylerite” is the name of an inhabitant of Tyler, Texas. The name “Tylerite” has been cited in print since at least 1880. Wikipedia: Tyler, TexasTyler is a city in and the county seat of…
Un-American Statesman (Austin American-Statesman nickname)
The Austin American-Statesman is the daily newspaper for the capital city of Austin. The Democratic Statesman dates back to 1871, and today's newspaper is called "The Statesman" for…
Un-Texas (Austin nickname)
Austin is sometimes called "the un-Texas." It's a little different than the rest of Texas. Other Austin nicknames include "Keep Austin Weird" and "The People's…