Texas, The Lone Star State

This site is edited by Barry Popik.

The Lone Star State. An etymological dictionary investigating the origins of Texas words, names, quotations and phrases, specializing in modern slang, nicknames, slogans, proverbs, adages and aphorisms. A web site by Barry Popik.

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“‘Fixin’ to’ is the national verb of Texas” (6/30)
“‘Fixin’ to’ is the official verb of Texas” (6/30)
“‘Fixin’ to’ is the state verb of Texas” (6/30)
“‘Onced’ and ‘twiced’ are words” (8/4)
“78704—More than just a ZIP code” ("78704—Actually, it’s just a ZIP code") (3/2)
“8 Days a Week” (Black’s Barbecue in Lockhart) (7/2)
“A community bound by books” (BookPeople slogan) (12/18)
“A conscience is like a boat or a car. If you feel you need one, rent it” (J.R. on Dallas tv series) (5/31)
“A cowboy is a man with guts and a horse” (3/15)
“A dollar-three-eighty” (3/19)
“A few oil wells make ranching a fine business” (8/9)
“A heart the size of Texas” or “A heart as big as Texas” (Texas saying) (2/15)
“A hit dog will holler” (1/2)
“A lick and a promise” (1/31)
“A life without brisket is a life not worth living” (11/6)
“A line in the sand” (Col. Travis in 1836; Pres. Bush in 1990) (12/27)
“A Texan is a Mexican who couldn’t swim to Oklahoma” (dirty joke definition) (3/11)
“A young Texan walks into a bar…” (bar joke) (2/24)
“Acres and acres, and she’s all mine!” (Texas size joke) (12/5)
“Alamo has no back door” (Maury Maverick, Jr.) (12/29)
“All barbecue experts are self-proclaimed” (3/27)
“All broth and no beans” (12/2)
“All gurgle and no guts” (6/8)
“America’s Motor Lunch” & “A Tasty Meal Served at Your Wheel” (Pig Stand slogans) (5/13)
“America: Texas and 49 bitches” (8/23)
“An atheist is a man who buys a ticket to the Notre Dame-SMU game and doesn’t care who wins” (9/7)
“And the horse you rode in on” (2/24)
“Any jackass can kick a barn down, but it took a carpenter to build it” (Sam Rayburn) (1/4)
“As goes South Texas, so goes the U.S. crop” (9/6)
“As welcome as a skunk at a lawn party” (7/27)
“At GM, you form a committee on snakes, then hire a consultant…” (Ross Perot) (10/18)
“Australians are just British Texans” (8/18)
“Bacon Strip” District (9/1)
“Barbecue is as old as fire” (2/15)
“Barbecue sauce is like a beautiful woman. If it’s too sweet, it’s bound to be hiding something” (6/11)
“Be always sure you’re right—then go ahead” (Davy Crockett) (8/12)
“Beat like a rented mule” (12/31)
“Bet that it would never rain again” (Texas weather joke) (8/29)
“Betray’all: When a southern person betrays you” (12/3)
“Between 11 and 3 stay under a tree” (7/14)
“Between a rock and a weird place” (Pflugerville, near Round Rock and Austin) (11/23)
“Between hay and grass” (1/1)
“Bevo. It’s what’s for dinner.” (anti-UT Longhorn slogan) (10/25)
“Big as hell and half of Texas” (12/28)
“Big hat and no cattle” ("All hat and no cattle") (8/3)
“Bigger than Dallas” ("Bigger ‘n Dallas") (10/16)
“Black/Dark as midnight under a skillet” (12/5)
“Bonjour, y’all” (Paris, Texas greeting) (4/14)
“Bottle of Pearl, please!” (Pearl Beer slogan) (5/15)
“Boy, Hidy!” (or “Boy, Howdy!") (2/23)
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