Barbecues are one of the best things about living in Texas. An observer might note of such a live dictionary or chin musician that he speaks ten words a second, with gusts to fifty. The most common construction, however, is he could talk the [blank] off a [blank]maybe the legs off a chair, the ears off a cow,, the gate off its hinges. This handy fill-in-the-blank form easily adapts itself to the speakers experience or view. . The rest of the year is pretty much a waste, waiting for the first kickoff of fall. Bluebonnets. That old saying isnt far from wrong. Every Sunday those bells call parishioners, many of whom are the descendants of the natives who built the missions, to worship in the white stucco chapel. Lots of Texans are apt to spin a tall tale on short notice, but some are prone to talking with no notice at all. Allexcept maybe the salamandersstare into the clear, green depths, test the temperature with a toe (even though everyone knows its always 68 degrees), shudder, then take the plunge into the heart-stopping chill, trying to absorb a smidgen of the irrefutable grace of this place. We asked sources in KUHFs Public Insight Network on six-word phrases that capture the essence of the Bayou City. Katharyn Rodemann, 74. We guzzle this stuff like water. The stretch of beach remains undisturbedno showers, no restrooms, no improvements of any kind. The AstrodomeAs a baseball stadium, it had its shortcomingsforemost among them Astroturfbut there was a time when it was second only to the Alamo as the most important building in Texas. It changes so often we never know what each day will be. Briscoe Ranches (640,000 acres). Brian D. Sweany, 30. WebDescriptive Essay On Texas. Nearby is a much smaller black dot. His protgs, Dick DeGuerin and his brother, Mike DeGeurin (the former reverted to the older spelling of the name), have taken up a string of celebrity clients, from Kay Bailey Hutchison to Tom DeLay to various Branch Davidians. Donald Judds installations, MarfaWhen I first visited Marfa more than twenty years ago, the late Don Judd had been there for more than a decade and was still installing the planets most avant-garde objects in an abandoned cavalry outpost. We call them bootleggers, but we mean that in the best way, says Jeff Pendleton, Dr Pepper creative director. An ice cold beer and some George Strait in our ears is all we really need to have a good time. The Devils Bowl Speedway, MesquiteSpend an extra $2 for a reserved seat so that you can sit in the center section. Trust me. The skyAnd no one captures the clouds and lightning strikes, sunsets and stars better than photographer Wyman Meinzer, whose new book, Between Heaven and Texas (University of Texas Press), was published in March. Sure we are. Barton Springs? They tried to hang him, but the rope broke. Of course, its ridiculous to think that Dallas bustling and vibrant, full of But, heywere wasting timeor, burning daylight: lets get right down to the lick-log, with a few examples of how to talk Texan. The junction of I-30, U.S. 75, and I-45 in Dallas is one of the most stunning, especially in the evening, when the towers of downtown are silhouetted against the hyper-real colors of a Texas sunset. Buckle BunniesSee Photo. FandangoThe movies premise is familiar to anyone who ever tried to stretch an extra semester out of adolescence: Five drunk frat brothers blow out of a party in the middle of the night in a car loaded with beer and headed for anywhere. The wide smile, the firm handshake, the slap on the backits the way Texans meet the world, the social grease that makes living here so pleasant and easy. For even more cool facts about Texas, check out our article filled with 12 things you didnt know about the history of Texas. Texas is a great state to be in. We never got that picturewell, we did; the three of us in midair and him peering skeptically over the sidebut we had a great time, as we always do. From the scenic viewpoint at the crest, the Rio Grande lies a thousand feet below, and Mexico is so close you might be tempted to throw a rock into it. With its unprecedented preponderance of helictitesneither stalactites nor stalagmites but growths that twist and turn out from the caves wallsnearly every inch of Sonora, not just the floors and ceilings, bursts with complex colors and formations. This saying separates the seasoned boaster from the rest of the crowd. And sometimes you can be rewarded with an unexpected find, as in the 1919 photograph of Sam Johnson, who has the same nose and ears as his son, the future president, and the 1911 photograph of the young Speaker Sam Rayburn. Both of them. Just show up on a Thursday night at about ten-thirty, when the house band launches into Boot Scootin Boogie. Skip Hollandsworth, 51. 2. Swing States: Texas, Who Votes, Past Results Its so dryyyy here! Well, I didnt just looove Austin then and it wasnt dryyyy. A huge man with an eighteen-inch neck, Jakes is an unbelievable showman, but in religion, of course, showmen are a dime a dozen. And the truffled egg custard in an eggshell at Aurora, in Dallas. Harry Ransom Humanities Research Center, AustinIt was the Gutenberg Bible I first fell in love with, then the love letters and dream diaries of Graham Greene. Some words that start with the letter U that may be used to describe the state of Texas are: Unique, Universal, Useful, Urban, Ultimate, and Underestimated. The three bells at Mission San Francisco de la Espada, San AntonioThe simple facade of the oldest, smallest, and most remote of San Antonios five missions centers on a Moorish door frame, and above the door stands a tower with three bells. 2. It's a Texas thing and y'all wouldn't understand. But notions of Texas and largenessfreedom to roam and aspire, in an almost metaphysical wayremain synonymous in much of the world. At times I rather live in Texas then any other state. Plus, the fact that there was snow. In the suburbs, Anglo candidates block-walk; in the Rio Grande Valley, Hispanic politicos travel the pachanga circuit. Listen to what they had to say. Everyone hops from one boat to another, flirting outrageously and shouting such memorable lines as Lets party! Its just ridiculousand blissful. The result? There is a reason many individuals are drawn to the Lone Star State. Some words that start with the letter U that may be used to describe the state of Texas are: Unique, Universal, Useful, Urban, Ultimate, and Underestimated. We did this at a dinner party and thought it was a fun game (not with Dallas or Texas, but you get the idea). Now Ramsey has Ken Lay for a client. Paul Burka. Jan Jarboe Russell, 13. If youre a politician seeking constituent appeal, an expatriate who enjoys strutting your Texas stuff, or a conversationalist with a good sense of humor, you owe it to yourself and your listeners to help keep these Texas nuggets alive. Skip HollandsworthSayings + Quotes About Austin, Texas Another Giles gem is in Lockhart. Michael Ennis, 27. By then, my girlfriend had been my wife for more than ten years. All you get is a metal rocker on a wide porch overlooking the emerald-green Comal and the drunken tubers floating byin other words, near-perpetual serenity. We all know Texas is too awesome to sum up in just 26 words, so weve created your Texas A-Z list. Austin, Texas Austin, city, capital of Texas, U.S., and seat (1840) of Travis county. He thinks the sun comes up just to hear him crow. Where else do smokers this big exist?! 15. Katharyn Rodemann, 73. Youll never take sunsets for granted again. One of many marvelous references to crazy. Quite a few such descriptions spring from vintage homemaking or housekeeping terminology consider also She came right off the spool and Hes missing a few buttons off his shirt. Obviously pioneer women were just as capable of coining colorful colloquialisms as were the men. Houston criminal lawyersWhat is it with these guys? Every Texan knows that summer means it's time to head to the hill country and hop in a tube for a long float. Essays. More recently its been the centers big-name acquisition coupsBob Woodward and Carl Bernsteins Watergate papers, Norman Mailers archive. For the encore, the band played Doug Sahms At the Crossroads. I hadnt heard of Doug Sahm before; everyone else there had. Texas, constituent state of the United States of America. And why would he? She'll always have a little piece of our hearts. Just dont forget the two most important rules: Never, ever shoot behind you, and if you shoot somebody, its your fault. And then watch these drivers, almost all of whom spend their weekdays working in blue-collar jobs, race around the half-mile oval track, slamming into one another and spinning out so hard that dirt can fly into the parking lot. But in a burst of creative genius, triggered by a shift in the Balcones Fault, the earth partnered these humble materials in a geologic magic act that has wowed ancient people and Franciscans, deep thinkers and humorists, blue-lipped toddlers and topless hippie chicks, endangered salamanders and political activists. Everything about it is perfectthe proportions, the pastel-peach exterior, the restored dome, the rotunda inside, the town surrounding it. Short for gone to Texas, this usage dates at least to the Civil War, when deserters and other former soldiers from both armies suddenly unemployed and inured to violence migrated to still-wild, wide-open Texas, lost their names, and took up outlawry. 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Austin | History, Population, Demographics, Map, & Points of Interest Charlies is an anthem about using any means availablesummer pipeline jobs, football, musicto get out. But the best place to drink it is at the Dublin Dr Pepper Museum, where a soda jerk still serves it ice-cold from a fountain. These two songs tell you what that world looked liked. The range is a national park, and from a campsite here you can explore eighty miles of trails that lead through sky islands of ponderosa pine and Douglas fir to six of the states ten highest peaks. Poll: What One Word Best Describes Dallas? Michael Ennis, 62. David Courtney, 8. at the end of your search. Definitely the lemon meringue pot at Wink, in Austin. These seven signs are a perfect testament to that trait and describe life in the Lone Star State to a T. Flickr/bfs_man. Dad and Mom obliged, and so did big sister, but the normally fearless little guy, all four and a half years and 35-odd pounds of him, couldnt bring himself to do it. Meaner than a skilletful of rattlesnakes. Mimi Swartz, 2. He was born on the wrong side of the blanket. The free advice at White Rock Lake, DallasIf you live in Dallas and have a questionany questionthen you know the drill: Get up on Sunday morning, stroll around White Rock Lake until you come to Jackson Point, and look for the sign Free Advice. Thats where all-around-good-guys Neal Caldwell and Roderick MacElwain have been waiting in their lawn chairs for the past ten years. LubbockA large university, Texas Tech, sets Lubbock apart from kindred cities on the plains, but its soul is music. With no warning, the birds flush, and the air is filled with quail. He dont know if hes a-washin or a-hangin. The World Championship Barbeque Goat Cook-Off, BradyEstablished 33 years ago partly as a jokeBrady was struggling to find a civic-celebration theme other towns hadnt already takenthis Saturday-of-Labor-Day-weekend blowout maintains a great sense of humor about itself. Theres various ways in which the Mexican culture has cemented itself in Texas culture, such as with food. Political Culture of Texas John Spong writes primarily about popular culture. (If you think we're being grammatically incorrect when we spell it, you must not be from Texas.). Photo is not available online.