“Boy, Hidy!” (or “Boy, Howdy!”)
"Boy, hidy!" (or "Boy, howdy!") is now regarded as usually a Texas expression. "Boy, howdy!" was popular in 1918, during World War I. The origin or the phrase is…
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“Other states were carved or born, Texas grew from hide and horn” (Berta Hart Nance)
"Other states were carved or born, Texas grew from hide and horn" is the beginning of Berta Hart Nance's poem "Cattle" (1932). Handbook of Texas OnlineNANCE, BERTA HART…
City of the Violet Crown (Austin nickname)
Athens, Greece was called the "City of the Violet Crown" or "City of the Violet-Crowned Hills." Some say that when Athens was ruled by King Ion (Ion = "violet"),…
“If the good Lord’s willin’ (and the creeks don’t rise)”
"If the Good Lord's Willin' (and the Creeks Don't Rise)" means that if all goes well and nothing unforeseen occurs, this event will happen. "If The Good Lord's…
“Cry calf rope” (or “Holler calf rope” or “Yell calf rope”)
"Cry calf rope" (or "holler calf rope" or "yell calf rope") means the same as "cry uncle" -- an admission of defeat. It comes from the phrase that if you…
Chile Stand (Chili Stand); Tamale Stand
Many websites describe a "San Antonio Chili Stand" that was on display at Chicago's 1893 Columbian Exposition (World's Fair). Chile (chili) stands and tamale stands were popular…
Tamale Town; Tamaleville (San Antonio nicknames)
"Tamale Town" and "Tamaleville" are old nicknames for San Antonio that date from the 1880s and 1890s. San Antontio was famous for the tamale. The nicknames are historical and…
Chow Chow
Chow chow is a Southern dish of vegetables such as cabbage, onions, peppers, tomatoes, etc. The name comes from pidgen English, and it is believed that "chow chow" was popularized by…
Fluff Duff
"Fluff duff" is "fancy food" in cowboy language. There is a date dish called "fluff duff" that dates to the early 1900s. 15 January 1908, Grand Rapids (MI) Tribune,…
Chow
"Chow" is a Chinese term and probably came into use in America in California in the 1850s. To the cowboy, "chow" meant something to eat. Google BooksDictionary of the American…
Blipster
"Blipster" = black + hipster. The term received popularity in the January 28, 2007 New York Times article "Truly Indie Fans" by Jamie Pressler. The term "blipster" is…
“Always Real, Always Harlem” (Coca-Cola slogan)
"Always Real" has been a Coca-Cola slogan since 1993. "Always Real, Always Harlem" has been a Coca-Cola advertisement on some Harlem stores since at least 2004. flickrALWAYS…
Red Velvet Cake
Red Velvet Cake (a cake with red layers) has been a mystery. Was it invented at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City? Was it invented in the South? Was it invented in Canada? Where, and when?…
Tex Appeal
The "Greater Tuna" trilogy of comedies about the fictitious town of Tuna, Texas declares that it's "The Comedy with 'Tex Appeal.'" "Tex Appeal"…
Third Smallest Town in Texas (fictitious Tuna, Texas slogan)
The fictitious town of Tuna, Texas is the "Third Smallest Town in Texas." Jaston Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard wrote a comic trilogy to Tuna, Texas: Greater Tuna (1981), A Tuna…
“Nipples to the wind”
"Nipples to the Wind" is the title of a play of Texas monologues by Paula Coco. Coco describes the phrase to mean "head up, chin out," and says that "nipples to the…
“The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we is in Texas yet”
"The sun has riz, the sun has set, and here we is in Texas yet" shows how large Texas is. These lines are said to have been written by a hobo in the early 1900s. Compare these verses to…
40 Acres (University of Texas at Austin)
The University of Texas at Austin began with forty acres. People still talk of UT as "the forty acres." "Forty acres and a mule" was a promise supposedly made after the Civil…
Margarita Cheesecake
Margarita cheesecake is a happy blend of the Margarita cocktail and the New York cheesecake. It's not known who invented the dish or where, but Margarita cheesecake was served in Chicago in…
Dollars, Taxes (Dallas, Texas)
Did you ever hear "Dollars, Taxes" for Dallas, Texas? The joke comes from Chico Marx in the film Duck Soup (1933). Internet Movie DatabaseMemorable Quotes fromDuck Soup (1933) [Charles…