“Bacon Strip” District
A "bacon strip district" is an electoral district like the one in the Rio Grande Valley (25th Congressional District) that's long and thin and can go on for hundreds of miles. The…
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Texas Basement (an attic)
Most homes in Texas don't have basements. The water table and the soil prevent it. A "Texas basement" is an attic. International Real Estate Digest: USA/TexasWhy don't Texas…
Godzillatron (Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium scoreboard)
"Godzillatron" is the nickname of the scoreboard at the University of Texas at Austin's Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Like the "Godzilla" monster, it's…
Drive-In
The Pig Stand "drive-in" opened in 1921 in Dallas and soon became a popular restaurant chain. The Pig Stand featured "car hops" who brought meals to customers waiting in their…
Corn Dog (or Corndog or Corny Dog)
The "corn dog" (or "corndog" or "corny dog") is a "hot dog" coated in corn meal, served on a stick. It was long thought that the corndog was invented at the…
“My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nachos” (Merc.-Venus-Earth-Mars-Jupiter-Sat.-Uranus-Nept.)
Pluto was declassified as a planet in August 2006. The mnemonic device for remembering the order of the planets from the sun had been "My Very Educated Mother Served Us Nine Pizzas." With…
Guacamole
"Guacamole" isn't found in English-language cookbooks until about 1930. Guacamole is a Mexican dish and is called "huacamole" in Texan Ranch Life (1894). The food term…
Texas Panhandle (or, Texas Pan Handle)
The Texas "panhandle" is the northwest part of the state. The "panhandle" term comes from the lay of the land, like the "handle" of a "pan." The term…
“Remember the Alamo!”
"Remember the Alamo!" was the war cry at the battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836, about a month after the fall of the Alamo. The Texas forces, led by commander-in-chief Sam Houston,…
Texas Toothpick (onion and jalapeño strips)
An "Arkansas toothpick" is a 19th century term for a knife. A knife was sometimes (rarely) also called a "Texas toothpick." "Texas toothpicks" is a 1990s name for…
Texas Philly (sandwich)
A "Texas Philly" is a Philadelphia cheesteak sandwich with jalapeños. The "Philly" is a steak sandwich with Cheez Whiz, popularized by Pat's King of Steaks in…
Cowboy Caviar (bean dip)
"Cowboy caviar" is sometimes just another name for "Texas Caviar," a black-eyed peas dish. When black beans are substituted for black-eyed peas, "Texas caviar" becomes…
Cowboy Cookies (Laura Bush’s Governor’s Mansion Cowboy Cookies)
"Cowboy Cookies" are cookies that perhaps have gone under different names (such as "ranger cookies"). Roy Rogers (the famous singing cowboy) sold "cowboy cookies" in…
Texas Cow Chips
"Texas Cow Chips" recipes can be seen on postcards of Texas. They's a Texas name for chocolate chip cookies, with raisins and pecans also added. It is not known who first baked the…
Texas Tumbleweeds (snack)
"Texas Tumbleweeds" is a snack name, a microwaved jumbled of peanut butter chips, potato sticks, peanuts, and almond bark. It is not often served, and it's not known who originated…
Texas Sunshine (citrus-ade)
"Texas Sunshine" is a citrus drink found in the book Cooking Texas Style. The history of the drink (possibly with other names) is not known. Google BooksCooking Texas StyleTenth…
Texas Torpedo (stuffed jalapeños)
A "Texas Torpedo" is a cheese-stuffed jalapeño, popular on several Dallas menus. A "Texas Torpedo" can also mean a sandwich with jalapeños or salsa added. Culpepper Steak…
“Welcome to Texas—Now Go Home” & “Beautify Texas—Put a Yankee on a Bus” (bumper stickers)
There are several Texas bumper stickers that have been popular for several decades. Many of the bumper sticker sayings may have been coined in the 1970s and 1980s by Allied Printing of Dallas, as…
“Hoover Hog,” “Poor Man’s Pig,” “Poverty Pig” (armadillo nicknames)
The armadillo (the little armored one) has had many nicknames. "Hoover Hog" was originally applied to the jackrabbit after Herbert Hoover's Great Depression, but the nickname was…
Texas Wedge (golf putter)
"Texas wedge" is an old, humorous term for a golf putter. The golf courses in Texas were bare and didn't have much grass, so a putter was often used. The courses have changed from…