River City (Austin nickname)
The city of Austin has always had the Colorado River run through it. However, it wasn't until the 1957 Broadway musical The Music Man (with its "River City" based on Mason City,…
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“The four most expensive words in the English language are ‘This time it’s different’”
John Templeton (1912-2008) was an American-born British investment advisor who believed in financial trends and cycles. He is credited with saying (by at least 1993): "The four most expensive…
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…
“My heart bleeds blue borscht”
"My heart bleeds blue borscht" ("My heart beats blue borscht" also has a few recorded citations) means that the speaker couldn't care less -- just the opposite of "my…
“Bacon makes it better” (“Bacon makes everything better”)
Bacon-mania hit in the 2000s with cookbooks, new products, and essential slogans. In 1980, the Burger Chef restaurant chain advertised: "The chicken makes it good. The bacon makes it better.…
“Like butter!” (“Like buttah!”)
Entry in progress -- B>P. Wikipedia: Coffee TalkCoffee Talk with Linda Richman was a sketch performed by Mike Myers on the sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live. It ran from 1991-10-12 until…
Great Green Turtle of Auditorium Shores (Austin’s former Palmer Auditorium)
In 1959, the city of Austin opened its Municipal Auditorium, later renamed the Lester E. Palmer Auditorium (after Austin's mayor from 1961-1967). Its green dome roof earned the Palmer…
Crickets or Crickets Chirping (silence)
"Crickets" or "crickets chirping" means total silence from all listeners (except for the crickets chirping in the background. In the cartoon Show Biz Bugs (1957) Daffy Duck…
“I am in shape. Round is a shape.”
"I am in shape. Round is a shape!" is a saying that's popular with some out-of-shape people and has even been put on T-shirts. The origin of the phrase is unknown, cited in print…
Six Flags Over Jerry (Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington)
Cowboys Stadium (the new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys football team, located in Arlington, TX) was completed in May 2009. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones' stadium has been compared to…
Jones Mahal or JonesMahal (Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Arlington)
Cowboys Stadium (the new stadium for the Dallas Cowboys football team, located in Arlington, TX) was completed in May 2009. Cowboys owner Jerry Jones planned such an opulent football palace that…
“Fried chicken and champagne? Why the hell not?” (Max’s Wine Dive)
"Fried chicken and champagne? Why the hell not?" is the slogan of Max's Wine Dive, an establishment that specializes in "gourmet comfort food and spectacular wines."…
“Never argue with a man who buys ink by the barrel”
"Never argue with someone who buys ink by the barrel" is a popular saying in politics that means don't argue with the press (especially newspapers), who can publicize an opinion like…
Nitery
Entry in progress -- B.P. Historical Dictionary of American Slangnitery n. Journ. a nightclub. Now colloq. or S.E.1934 Weseen Dict. Amer. Slang 147: Nitery -- A night club.1936 Esquire (Sept.) 159:…
Eatery
Entry in progress -- B.P. Merriam-Webster Online DictionaryMain Entry: eat·ery Pronunciation: \ˈē-tə-rē\ Function: noun Inflected Form(s): plural eat·er·ies Date: 1901 : luncheonette,…
Meatery (meat eatery)
A "meatery" is a simple blend of the words "meat" and "eatery." The term "meatery" has been used since at least 1994 as another term for…
“Nice place you got here. Be a shame if anything happened to it”
Gangster-type intimidation repeated often in the movies is: "Nice place you got here. Be a shame if anything happened to it." (Or, "Nice place you got here. It would be a pity if…
Ike Dike (proposed Texas Gulf Coast flooding barrier)
Hurricane Ike damaged the city of Galveston and much of the Texas Gulf Coast in September 2008. A 55-mile barrier along the Texas Gulf Coast was soon proposed to prevent flooding from another…
Cathedral of the Motion Picture (Roxy Theatre)
The enormous, 5,920-seat Roxy Theatre stood at the corner of 50th Street and Seventh Avenue from 1927 until it was demolished in 1960. Named after original owner Samuel Lionel "Roxy"…
Church of Rock and Roll (Fillmore East)
The Fillmore East was a rock and roll venue that was located on Second Avenue and East Sixth Street in Manhattan's East Village. From 1968-1971, the Fillmore East hosted memorable acts,…