Washateria, a Texas word for a self-service laundry, puzzled Erica in Indianapolis after she moved from Houston and found everyone saying Laundromat. Both words have trademark histories: Laundromat began as a brand name, and a Texas chain called...
Texas two-step n.— «San Antonio-area Democrats who shared their perspectives on the process known as the “Texas two-step.” The committee will reconvene late next month to discuss possible changes to the rules. The key issue is whether the...
the newlywed and the nearly dead other.— «Since our town had no “tech boom” there was never a new influx of young habitants to modernize the landscape. Instead we have what we like to call neighborhoods of “the newlywed...
We hear the word maverick a lot lately, but where did this term for a stubborn nonconformist come from? Martha tells the story of the Texas politician who inspired the word, and whose grandson apparently coined another familiar English word...
skin area n.— «It was more than 40 miles to the destroyed zone by ruck march, a forced troop march carrying gear and armaments which can weigh in excess of 100 pounds. The term used to describe the region of the country is the “skin...
cascaron n.— Note: Cascarón is Spanish for “eggshell.” «In late April, tiny pastel bits of a giant San Antonio party show up everywhere: trickling from your hair, embedded in the carpet under your desk, stuck to your furniture...