Brain Tablet (cigarette)

A "brain tablet" was a cowboy term for a cigarette. Maybe they looked like brain capsules at the time, or did cowboys think the cigarettes made them smarter? The term "brain…

Branson of Texas (Granbury nickname)

Granbury in Hood County has been called the "Branson of Texas." Like the city of Branson in Missouri, Granbury has several family-friendly entertainment venues, such as Granbury Live,…

Brazos River Catfish Stew

"Brazos River Catfish Stew" is a Texas recipe that was popularized on the Food Network. Wikipedia: Brazos RiverThe Brazos River, originally called, the Rio Brazos de Dios which can be…

Breakfast Burrito; Breakfast Taco

The breakfast burrito and the breakfast taco both first became popular breakfast fare in America beginning in the 1970. The breakfast burrito is recorded in New Mexico from the mid-1970s, and the…

Breakfast of Champions (menudo)

"Breakfast of Champions" has been the slogan of Wheaties cereal from 1933. Menudo is tripe stew. For many people in Texas and New Mexico (with tough stomachs), menudo has also been called…

Brisket Taco

The "taco" is a Mexican sandwich that dates in English to around 1900, but the "brisket taco" was popularized in the 1980s at Mia's Tex-Mex Restaurant in Dallas. Several…

Brown Bag Special (“crack kit”)

A "brown bag special" has also been called a "crack kit," consisting of a glass pipe, steel wool pad and butane lighter -- all sold in a brown paper bag by convenience stores.…

Brown Santa

"Brown Santa" is a program by the Travis County Sheriff's Office (and Williamson County) to distribute Christmas toys. It started a little later than San Antonio's Blue Santa…

Brownie Butts

Brownie-pan edges can be crunchy treats. Mary Louise Butters of Butters' Brownies of Austin began selling brownie edges at the Austin Farmers' Market in 2004, calling them "Brownie…

Brownsvillian (inhabitant of Brownsville)

"Brownsvillian” is the name of an inhabitant of Brownsville, Texas. The name “Brownsvillian” has been cited in print since at least 1859. Wikipedia: Brownsville, TexasBrownsville is a…

Brush Country

The term "brush country" was popularized by Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie (1888-1964), especially in the book title, A Vaquero of the Brush Country (1929). Earlier citations of…

Bryanite (inhabitant of Bryan)

"Bryanite” is the name of an inhabitant of Bryan, Texas. The name “Bryanite” has been cited in print since at least 1884. A "Bryanite" also describes a follower of William…

Bubba-Q

"Bubba-Q" (also "Bubba Q" without the hyphen, or "bubba-q" without capitalization) is "barbecue" for a "Bubba" (Southern for "brother").…

Buck nun (bachelor)

A "buck nun" is an old West term (cowboy slang) for a bachelor. One source below states that a "stud horse" is an opposite term. (Dictionary of American Regional English)buck…

Buckle (Blueberry Buckle; Peach Buckle)

A "buckle" dessert is similar to a coffee cake, made with fruit (most often blueberry, but also blackberry, raspberry, and peach) and with a topping that "buckles" when…

Buda (summary)

The city of Buda (a growing suburb of Austin, the Texas state capital) has a disputed origin of its name. It had long been thought that "Buda" was a corruption of the Spanish word…

Bulgogi Burger (Bulgoki Burger)

"Bulgogi" (also spelled "bulgoki" and "pulgogi") is Korean barbecue; the term literally means "fire meat" or "flesh on fire." The meat is barbecued…