"Thermopylae had her messenger of defeat, but the Alamo had none." The comparison of the events of the Alamo (1836) to the Battle of Thermopylae (480 B.C.) occurred as early as 1836. This…
"Thermostrocka Mortimer" (or "Thermostrocker Mortimer") is the broadcasting signoff of longtime Austinite Richard "Cactus" Pryor. Pryor's words are believed to be…
A boarding house usually has many boarders; boarding house pie is cut in many small slices so that each boarder has a piece. Anything that is cut many times into small pieces is said to be…
“They have fought grandly, nobly, and we must have more of them," wrote Confederate General Robert E. Lee on September 21, 1862, to General Louis T. Wigfall. General Lee was referring to the…
"They who drink of the San Antonio River will return" is a nice saying to impress upon visitors to San Antonio's River Walk (even though visitors do not literally "drink…
"This ain't my first rodeo" means "this isn't my first time." It is a similar saying to "I wasn't born yesterday." The phrase dates to at least the…
The city of Hondo is a small place that people often drive past. In 1930, a road sign was put up: "THIS IS GOD'S COUNTRY. DON'T DRIVE THRU IT LIKE HELL." The sign was…
Former Texas House Speaker Gib Lewis is a Texas version of Yogi Berra and Mrs. Malaprop. Perhaps not all of the sayings attributed to him are his, but they appear on many internet web sites.…
Entry in progress -- B.P. “A lot of conflict in the old Wild West could have been avoided if nineteenth century architects had made their towns big enough for more than one person" is a joke…
"Those whom the gods love they let live in Texas" is a proverb cited in a 1904 book (below). Other citations for this proverb have not been found; however, other citations for another…
Texas lore holds that the legendary UT football coach Darrell Royal (1924-2012) said that there are three things that can happen when you pass the football, and "two of them are bad."…
Sam Rayburn (1882-1961) was a Texas Congressman who was a longtime and effective Speaker of the House. "To get along, go along" (also sometimes phrased "go along to get along")…
Entry in progress -- B.P.Don Meredith (1938-2010) Wikipedia: Tom LandryThomas Wade "Tom" Landry (September 11, 1924 – February 12, 2000) was an American football player and coach. He is…
"Tomorrow Happens Here" has been the non-trademarked slogan of Austin's SXSW (South by Southwest) festival since 2009. SXSW contains a music festival, a film festival and interactive…
The Lone Star Cafe in New York City was located on 61 Fifth Avenue (at 13th Street), and it existed between 1976 and 1989. The Lone Star featured performers such as Kinky Friedman and Willie…
"Too thin to plow, too thick to drink" has been said of many rivers, such as the Missouri River, the Colorado River (before it was dammed), the Platte River, the Powder River, as well as…
A joke about the Dallas Cowboys football team is: "Tornado warning in central Texas! Everyone head to the Cowboys stadium...no chance of a touchdown there." The joke was posted on Twitter…
"Tough times never last, but tough people do!" is the title of a 1983 book by Robert Harold Schuller.The book popularized the phrase, often slightly changed to "tough times…
The columnist Molly Ivins described Ann Richards as "tougher than a two-dollar steak." The steak phrase is an old one and not confined to Texas. The price of the steak has varied through…
"Trespassers will be hog tied and told they have a purdy/purty mouth" is a jocular Southern saying that has been printed on many signs. "Posted by: jonbradley in Email - Trespassers…