Pluto was declassified as a planet in August 2006. The mnemonic device for remembering the order of the planets from the sun had been "My Very Educated Mother Served Us Nine Pizzas." With…
The Marx Brothers began their comedy career with ad-lib remarks while on the vaudeville circuit in 1912. "Nacogdoches is full of roaches" declared Groucho Marx during the routine.…
Lone Star Beer began when prohibition ended. Lone Star has used the slogans "National Beer of Texas" since 1984 and "It's a Texas Thing" since 2000. "It's a Texas…
Dr. Pepper (a soft drink) is sometimes humorously called "the national drink of Texas." Dr. Pepper has called itself "the world's oldest major soft drink" and "the…
Tex-Mex cuisine is often said to be mostly Texas, with very little authentic Mexican foodways. The food author Waverly Root wrote in his book Eating in America (1976) an often-quoted statement…
"Need no teef to eat my beef" is the non-trademarked slogan at the House Park Bar-B-Que in Austin, at West 12th Street near Lamar Boulevard. House Park has been around since 1943;…
"Neighbor, how long has it been since you've had a big, thick, steaming bowl of Wolf Brand Chili?" [Dramatic pause] "Well, that's too long!" Wolf brand chili was…
"Nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs" means to be very nervous -- the cat must not get the tail caught under a rocking chair. The syndicated newspaper column…
"Never approach a bull from the front, a horse from the rear or a fool from any direction" is often said to be an old cowboy saying, but its author is unknown. The cowboy proverb is cited…
"Never ask a man if he's from Texas. If he is, he'll tell you. If he isn't, don't embarrass him." It's not known who first said this, but it dates to at least the…
"Never bring a knife to a gunfight" (or "Don't take a knife to a gunfight") seems like a quotation from the old west. The film The Untouchables (1987) contained the line:…
"Never drink unless you're alone or with somebody" appears as an "anonymous cowboy quote" in the book Cowboy Cocktails (2000), by Grady Spears and Brigit Binns. The…
"Never kick a cow chip on a hot day" appears on the internet on several Texas and cowboy joke websites. Some attribute the quote to Will Rogers, but there no evidence of this. It's…
Texans are known for their bragging. Common sayings are "It ain't braggin'" (if you can do it, or if it's true) and "no brag, just fact." "Never let the…
Lyndon B. Johnson's father advised him to "never make a speech at a country dance or a football game." It's good Texas advice; you don't interrupt football games! 15 July…
Good barbecue comes with sides (such as potato salad), but a rule of thumb often given is to "never order a salad at a barbecue joint." Most barbecue places don't serve salads,…
Southern humorist Lewis Grizzard (1946-1994) is credited with this as-yet-unsourced saying: "Never order sweet tea in a state that doesn't have an SEC team." The expression is…
"Never say 'die,' say 'damn'" was supposedly the motto of James Edward "Pa" Ferguson (1871-1944), the only Texas governor ever to be impeached. However, the…
"Never wrestle with a pig -- you get dirty and the pig likes it" has been said to be Abraham Lincoln-esque, but there is no record that Lincoln said anything like it. The saying has been…
"Nipples to the Wind" is the title of a play of Texas monologues by Paula Coco. Coco describes the phrase to mean "head up, chin out," and says that "nipples to the…