“Since Christ was a cowboy” (“Since Jesus was a cowboy”)

“Since Christ was a cowboy” (less frequently given as “since Jesus was a cowboy”) means “a long time.” A similar phrase is “since Hector was a pup.” The origin of the phrase is unknown, but it’s popular in Texas and appears in several Kinky Friedman books.
   
   
Google Books
Stribling
a novel by Lucas Webb
Garden City, NY: Doubleday
1973
Pg. 29:
Snow had fallen in the night making it so you could swear nothing had been there, as Uncle Luke said, “since Christ was a cowboy.”
       
Google Books
Strike the Bell Boldly
a novel by Stephen Longstreet
New York, NY: Putnam
1977
Pg. 249:
Sam Orley was the conductor, been with the K & P as he said, “since Christ was a cowboy.”
 
Google Groups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
Newsgroups: rec.sport.pro-wrestling
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (John Milner)
Date: 1996/10/08
Subject: Turner-Is he anti-Canadian? 
 
Maybe ol’ “Billionaire Ted” is pissed at the True North Strong and Free and that’s why there hasn’t been a WCW card in Canada since Jesus was a cowboy.
       
Google Books
Blast from the Past
by Kinky Friedman
New York: Simon & Schuster
1998
Pg. 136:
I’d known Tom Baker since Christ was a cowboy, but only in the last two of three years had his behavior become worrisome.
   
Google Books
Two O’Clock, Eastern Wartime
by John Dunning
New York: Scribner
2001
Pg. 62:
Old Poindexter’s been here since Jesus was a cowboy.
   
Hockeyfighter
Fallout
11-28-2002, 11:10 PM
The guy has been going strong since jesus was a cowboy
 
Summer’s Daydreams
Friday, March 21, 2003    
Dawn has been my friend and disillusioned (innocent?) partner in crime since Jesus was a cowboy.
       
Google Books
Prisoner of Vandam Street
by Kinky Friedman
New York: Simon & Schuster
2004
Pg. 121:
All of this took only a matter of moments, and in a few moments more, I was out of the loft, down the stairs, and out of the building for what seemed like the first time since Christ was a cowboy.
     
The Great Psychedelic Armadillo Picnic:
A “Walk” in Austin
by Kinky Friedman
New York: Crown Publishers
2004
Pg. 86:
Located at 2101 Barton Springs Road within Zilker Park, Barton Springs Pool has been used by people living here since Christ was a cowboy;...
       
Wordlustitude 
Wednesday, October 20, 2004
(...)
I haven’t heard anyone say “since Christ was a corporal” since Christ was a cowboy.
   
Washington Capitals Message Board
canadianinmd
Oct 11 2006, 07:54 PM
sweet dam, i never seen that movie since Jesus was a cowboy. 
 
Free Dominion
Posted: 07/ 17/ 07 1:36 pm
Is Calgary where the saying comes from:
“hasn’t happened since Jesus was a cowboy “
     
Bright New Things
August 17, 2007 - Friday
(...)
50. Just how OLD are you?
I refuse to say. Besides, you all know. But I will quote my father - “I been riding bulls since Jesus was a cowboy!”