Dirty SA (San Antonio nickname)
“Dirty SA” is a nickname for the city of San Antonio. On his radio show on August 5, 2011, Neal Boortz (who attended Texas A&M from 1963-67) took a caller from San Antonio and mentioned that the city was called “dirty SA” in his college days. The origin of “dirty SA” is not known, but it dates to at least the 1960s and was used at Texas A&M (see the 2007 newsgroup discussion, cited below).
Wikipedia: San Antonio
San Antonio ( /ˌsænænˈtoʊni.oʊ/) is the seventh-largest city in the United States of America and the second-largest city within the state of Texas, with a population of 1.33 million. Located in the American Southwest and the south–central part of Texas, the city serves as the seat of Bexar County. In 2011, it was estimated to be the 24th largest metropolitan area in the U.S. with a population of 2.2 million according to U.S. Census Bureau figures tabulated by Business First. San Antonio has characteristics of other western urban centers in which there are sparsely populated areas and a low density rate outside of the city. It was the fourth-fastest growing large city in the nation from 2000 to 2006 and the fifth-fastest-growing from 2007 to 2008. The San Antonio–New Braunfels metropolitan area has a population of over 2.14 million based on the 2010 U.S. Census, making it the 25th-largest metropolitan area in the United States and third-largest in Texas.
Google Groups: rec.music.country.western
Newsgroups: rec.music.country.western
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Ted B Samsel)
Date: Sat, 6 Jun 92 12:16:15 GMT
Local: Sat, Jun 6 1992 7:16 am
Subject: Re: Most Sung-about City
Is San Anto? Dirty SA. Where I went highschool… TJHS ‘67
GoogleGroups: rec.music.country.western
Newsgroups: rec.music.country.western
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Ted Samse)
Date: 16 Aug 1994 12:45:57 GMT
Local: Tues, Aug 16 1994 7:45 am
Subject: Re: What happened to Country Music?
Indeed, here is something from Blanco County Texas. N of Dirty SA!!
GoogleGroups: alt.war.vietnam
Newsgroups: alt.war.vietnam
From: “Ted Gittinger”
Date: 2000/03/29
Subject: Re: 60’s and 70’s Memories - Update. Website now up
Second son finished at St. Mary’s U in Dirty SA (that’s San Antonio, for the foreigners), and now teaches math and coaches baseball at a local 4A high school.
TxBands.com Forums
TX Suh-nare
Sep 25 2006, 04:47 PM
I’m joining the TX bandwagon and hoping to make Crossmen. I’ll take the three hour drive from H-Town to Dirty SA over the flight to the East or Midwest any day.
Google Groups: tamu.general
Newsgroups: tamu.general
From: robboll
Date: Thu, 16 Aug 2007 10:47:09 -0700
Local: Thurs, Aug 16 2007 12:47 pm
Subject: Dirty SA
I am trying to find out where the term “Dirty SA” came from in reference to San Antonio. When I search for it online I see a lot of reference to Aggies—so I though I’d give this a shot. Do any of you good Ags know the answer???
(...)
Newsgroups: tamu.general
From: Chris Barnes
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 08:59:04 -0500
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2007 8:59 am
Subject: Re: Dirty SA
> no ones got the answer to this one
Probably because nobody has heard San Antonio referred to with that nickname. I’ve lived in Texas for all but 5 of my 45 years (ages 1&2, then a 3 year stint in the Navy) and I’ve never heard the term.
(...)
Newsgroups: tamu.general
From: Chris Menzel
Date: Wed, 22 Aug 2007 17:51:52 +0000 (UTC)
Local: Wed, Aug 22 2007 12:51 pm
Subject: Re: Dirty SA
I actually googled “‘dirty SA’ aggie” and found only one page in which one and only one guy (a former student, apparently) refers repeatedly to San Antonio as “dirty SA”. What basis the OP has for saying he finds “a lot of reference to Aggies” in the context of that term is beyond me; could be he’s just an anonymous troll. No surprise that no one except one dork uses the expression. It’s stupid.