“Be always sure you’re right—then go ahead” (Davy Crockett)
"Be always sure you're right -- then go ahead!" was the motto of Alamo hero David (Davy) Crockett. It appeared on the cover of his 1834 book and was widely quoted in the 19th…
“Beat like a rented mule”
"Beat like a rented mule" sounds like it's a Texas phrase. It appears on lists of Texas phrases, and Texas speakers recently have used the phrase. The meaning of the phrase is to…
“Bet that it would never rain again” (Texas weather joke)
A joke from the drought of the 1950s (cited in print since at least 1953 in Reader's Digest) has it that a man bet his neighbors that it would never rain again. After a few years, he was paid…
“Betray’all: When a southern person betrays you”
"Betray'all" (betrayal + y'all) is a jocular term. "mizutawave: when a southern person betrays u: betray’all http://tmblr.co/ZZ1XLy1MkqxqB" was posted on Twitter by…
“Between 11 and 3 stay under a tree”
"Between 11 and 3 stay under a tree" (or "11 to 3, stay under a tree") is a rhyme about when it's best to avoid the midday sun. Australia's Cancer Council issued a…
“Between a rock and a weird place” (Pflugerville, near Round Rock and Austin)
The city of Pflugerville is near the cities of Austin (whose famous slogan is "Keep Austin Weird") and Round Rock. In 2007, t-shirts were printed in Pflugerville with the slogan…
“Between hay and grass”
"Between hay and grass" is said of the seasons, it being neither winter nor summer. It's also said of a young person, not a boy (or a girl) and not yet a man (or a woman). Old West…
“Bevo. It’s what’s for dinner.” (anti-UT Longhorn slogan)
The University of Texas Longhorns have a mascot named "Bevo." In 1992, the Cattleman's Beef Board ran a series of promotions with the slogan: "Beef. It's what's for…
“Big as hell and half of Texas”
"Big as all hell and half of Texas" is mighty big, indeed. The phrase "...and half of Texas" was used in a circus advertisement in 1900. "Hell and half of Georgia" was…
“Big hat and no cattle” (“All hat and no cattle”)
"Big hat and no cattle" (or "all hat and no cattle") means someone who boasts a lot ("talks out of one's hat"), but doesn't have the means to back it up.…
“Bigger than Dallas” (“Bigger ‘n Dallas”)
Dallas is big. Houston, however, is the most populous city in Texas. Dallas has long been nicknamed "Big D." The phrase "bigger than Dallas" ("bigger 'n Dallas")…
“Black/Dark as midnight under a skillet”
"Black as midnight under a skillet" is very dark, indeed. The phrase is probably cowboy talk; skillets were put to good use, and Texas midnights can be very dark. The phrase appears on…
“Bonjour, y’all” (Paris, Texas greeting)
"Bonjour, Y'all" has been cited in print since at least 1966, in an editorial that described how the hot new Paris fashion was clothing from the American West. The city Paris, Texas,…
“Both X and SpaceX are moving to Texas and not ONE JOURNALIST went with the headline ‘All My Xes Live In Texas?’”
Businessman and investor Elon Musk announced in 2024 his intention of moving his companies X (formerly called Twitter) and SpaceX to Texas. "Excuse me -- both X and SpaceX are moving to Texas…
“Bottle of Pearl, please!” (Pearl Beer slogan)
"A bottle of Pearl, please!" has been part of Pearl Beer's advertising since 1937. Another famous Pearl Beer slogan is "From the country of 1100 springs." The Pearl Brewery…
“Boy, Hidy!” (or “Boy, Howdy!”)
"Boy, hidy!" (or "Boy, howdy!") is now regarded as usually a Texas expression. "Boy, howdy!" was popular in 1918, during World War I. The origin or the phrase is…
“Bring it on!” (“Bring ‘em on!”)
"Bring it on!" is so common that no definitive origin can be traced. On the American Dialect Society list, word researcher Grant Barrett wrote: "I've checked the usual places,…
“Bubba likes it” (Lone Star Cafe slogan)
"Bubba likes it" is the slogan of the Lone Star Cafe (websites: http://www.lonestarcafetexas.com or http://www.bubbalikesit.com). The Lone Star originated in 1980 and the slogan was first…
“Bugled to Jesus” (to die)
"Bugled to Jesus" is another term for "to die" or "to go to heaven." The term was first used by writer Larry L. King (Best Little Whorehouse in Texas), but has been…
“Call them ‘Armadillos’ because the team gets killed on the road”
Many sports team don't play very well on the road. Many animals get killed on the road. A joke began in 1991 that a team was going to change its name to the Possums because "they play…