Texas humorist Kinky Friedman ran for Texas Governor in 2006, referring often to “dinosaur wine” (oil). The term has been cited since at least 1985.
Double-Tongued Word Wrester
dinosaur wine n. petroleum or its derivatives. Related: English, Slang
Citations: 1985 Terry Pringle Dallas Morning News (Texas) (Jan. 13) “Semi-Tougher: The escapades of a middle-aged Billy Clyde” p. 10C: Big Ed has decided the challenge of building a national championship team at TCU is greater than that of searching for dinosaur wine (oil). 1995 Tom Fry @ Trail, British Columbia Usenet: rec.outdoors.fishing (May 23) “Re: WD-40 and Fish?”: WD-40 contains petroleum distillates, PERIOD. No fish oil, no anise, no diddly. Just well-processed “dinosaur wine.” 2000 Bill Schadewald Triangle Business Journal (Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina) (May 29) “Gates may have last laugh in break-up”: Much of the money made in the oil business has been raked in by companies that had no direct interest in dinosaur wine. 2006 Danny Gallagher McKinney Courier-Gazette (Texas) (July 27) “Kinky Friedman says he’s running against ‘apathy’”: He also called for Texas to become less dependent on dwindling sources of oil and gas—or as he called it “dinosaur wine”—and more open toward renewable resources such as biodiesel.
Google News Archive
Oil glut forces once-flush Texas into budget crunch Heady days of ...
Pay-Per-View - Atlanta Journal/The Atlanta Constitution - NewsBank - Mar 24, 1985 For decades Texas was synonymous with high rolling, high living and going for broke; it was the state that thrived on “dinosaur wine,” a loving nickname for ...
Above, a 1934 plaque from the Big Apple Night Club at West 135th Street and Seventh Avenue in Harlem. Discarded as trash in 2006. Now a Popeyes fast food restaurant on Google Maps.
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Above, Big Apple Corner at 54th Street and Broadway in Manhattan. Google Maps. Stolen and missing, 2021-2024.
Above, John J. Fitz Gerald, from the Aug. 15, 1931, Binghamton (NY) Press, pg. 14.
Listen to Robert Emmerich introduce "The Big Apple," a hit song from 1937. Music written by Bob and performed by Tommy Dorsey's Clambake Seven with Bob on piano. Lyrics written by Buddy Bernier and sung by Edythe Wright. Audio provided by Dorothy Emmerich.
Also listen to a 1937 "The Big Apple" song by Ozzie Nelson and his Orchestra. See a 1929 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald and a 1931 photo of John J. Fitz Gerald.
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