Don’t say something bad about Texas to a Texan. There’s a joke that this is “the fastest way to get to the hospital.”
30 June 1954, Mexia (TX) Daily News, “The Way It Seems to Me” by Ernie Deane, pg. 1, col. 1:
OUT IN Hollywood—where else?—a Texas oil man faces charges of wounding a movie stuntman because he didn’t like what the stuntman said about Texas.
Readers should mark well the point that the Texas oil man did not get into a shooting mood because of what the Californian said about California—though this is usually maddening in itself.
He got his dander up because the Californian said something bad about Texas—and so gunplay resulted.
From this vantage point here in the sunny climes of Central Texas, it seems to me the Texas oil man was entirely justified. Unfortunately for him, however, the incident occurred in California, so it’s liable to go hard with him.
Google Books
Nothing Lasts Forever
by Sidney Sheldon
New York, NY: William Morrow
1994
Pg. 136:
“In Houston, a man stopped a pedestrian and asked, ‘What’s the quickest way to the hospital?’ “‘Say something bad about Texas.’ ”
Google Groups: rec.humor
Newsgroups: rec.humor
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Ed Boress)
Date: 1995/06/29
Subject: ABOUT TEXAS
In Dallas, a man stopped a pedestrian and asked, “What is the quickest way to the hospital?”
The pedestrian replied, “Just say something bad about Texas.”
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.
Recent entries:
•“Welcome to growing older. Where all the foods and drinks you’ve loved for years suddenly seem determined to destroy you” (4/17)
•“Date someone who drinks with you instead of complaining that you drink” (4/17)
•Entry in progress—BP18 (4/17)
•Entry in progress—BP17 (4/17)
•Entry in progress—BP16 (4/17)
More new entries...
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.
This site is edited by Barry Popik. These are the Cookies and Privacy Policies.