The Texanist
July 14, 2021
The Texanist: How Do You Pronounce All Those Weird Texas Town Names?
A Dallas man is flummoxed by Quitaque. And Danevang, and Jiba, and Study Butte, and Zuehl . . .
The Texanist
Since July 2007, the Texanist has taught many a well-intentioned Texan how to properly conduct him- or herself. Is it ever okay to ask somebody how many acres he has? Is it acceptable to spit tobacco juice at the office? Can one have too many Texas-themed tattoos? Why is Big Red so good? Who knows? Wait, the Texanist does!
Being Texan
July 6, 2021
The Texanist: Am I the Only Person Seeing a Lot More Bugs This Summer?
A very wet spring has a San Antonio woman looking for some relief from an arthropod invasion.
The Texanist
June 14, 2021
The Texanist: Is There a Formula for Picking Out a Cowboy Hat That Doesn’t Make You Look Like a Fool?
A Houston man wants to get the width of his brim just right.
The Texanist
May 26, 2021
The Texanist: What Should I Do About My Rain-Hating Boyfriend?
A Brady woman isn't sure her new relationship will survive a fundamental disagreement about the weather.
The Texanist
May 12, 2021
The Texanist: Why Do I Get So Many Robocalls From Small Texas Towns?
A Houston woman wants to know why the fine folks in Granger just won't leave her alone.
The Texanist
April 26, 2021
The Texanist: Might I Be Related to One of the Most Famous Figures in Texas History?
A Fort Worth resident wants to know if the stepson of a descendant of Moses Austin can call himself the great-great-great-great-great-step-grandson of the Father of the Father of Texas.
The Texanist
April 12, 2021
The Texanist: Do You Miss the Texas County That Is Now Part of Oklahoma?
A man from the Sooner State has a question about the other Red River Rivalry.
The Texanist
March 28, 2021
The Texanist: Is Wichita Falls the Only Place Where People Put Tomato Juice in Their Beer?
A Waxahachie man is trying to gauge the popularity of the "red draw."
The Texanist
March 15, 2021
The Texanist: Wait, Is Tennessee Suddenly More Popular Than Texas?
A Kansas woman is puzzled by some recent data about the Volunteer State and the Lone Star State.
The Texanist
March 8, 2021
The Texanist: Why Are Mexican Restaurants in San Antonio Charging for Chips and Salsa?
A River City man isn’t happy about paying for what used to be free.
The Texanist
March 1, 2021
The Texanist: Can We Put El Paso Back in the Central Time Zone?
A West Texas man seems to be tired of living on Mountain Standard Time.
The Texanist
January 17, 2021
The Texanist: Has There Ever Been Any Violence at the Texas Capitol?
The recent, terrifying events in Washington have an Austin man wondering about mayhem closer to home.
The Texanist
January 7, 2021
The Texanist: My Daughter Moved to Texas More Than a Year Ago. Why Hasn’t She Visited the Alamo Already?
A Maryland man is worried that his progeny may never become a true Texan.
The Texanist
December 28, 2020
The Texanist: Words of Wisdom for Ringing in 2021
All the Fine Advice you'll need to make sure the new year is much, much, much better than the last.
The Texanist
December 18, 2020
The Texanist: How Can Whataburger Say That It’s Still “Family Owned and Operated”?
An Austin man is skeptical that a company held by a Chicago investment firm can claim that distinction.
Being Texan
December 7, 2020
The Texanist: Is There Really Only One Place to Go Trout Fishing in Texas?
An Oregon transplant is hoping he can find a few places to cast a line in his adopted state.
The Texanist
November 16, 2020
The Texanist: I Love Tamales. But I Live in Northern Ireland. Help!
A Belfast woman is looking for a few good corn husks.
The Texanist
October 26, 2020
The Texanist: Bears Are Making a Comeback in Texas. How Scared Should I Be?
A Midland woman wonders what to do if she meets a member of the family Ursidae in the wild.
Arts & Entertainment
October 8, 2020
The Texanist: What Would the World Be Like if Willie Nelson Had Never Happened?
An Austin man ponders the unthinkable.
The Texanist
October 5, 2020
The Texanist: What Old Texas Games Can I Get My Screen-Addicted Kids to Play?
A Houston mom has had it with Minecraft.
The Texanist
September 12, 2020
The Texanist: Do Texans Have a Beef With Alberta, Canada?
A resident of “The Texas of Canada” is having second thoughts about retiring to the Lone Star State.
The Texanist
August 17, 2020
The Texanist: Why Are People Putting Cilantro in Everything?
A Texas transplant to California is unhappy about the ubiquity of the “nasty and repugnant weed."
The Texanist
August 10, 2020
The Texanist: Can an Alabamian Be the Voice of Big Tex?
A Sugar Land man wants to know if his friend from out of state could be the official greeter at the State Fair of Texas.
The Texanist
July 17, 2020
The Texanist: What’s the Strangest Thing You’ve Eaten in Texas?
A Texan deployed overseas wants to know if there’s any foodstuff weirder than armadillo tail with gravy. (There is.)
The Texanist
July 2, 2020
The Texanist: Is It a Good Idea to Visit West Texas in the Middle of a Pandemic?
A Houston man would like to maintain an annual summer tradition.
The Texanist
May 16, 2020
The Texanist: Will the Pandemic Let Texas Be Texas Once Again?
A sad and anxious time may offer a silver lining.
The Texanist
March 8, 2020
The Texanist: Why Do Two Different Hotels Profess to Be the Oldest in Texas?
A Portland man is confused by the Menger Hotel's and Excelsior House Hotel's dueling claims. The Texanist is, too.
The Texanist
March 1, 2020
The Texanist: What in Tarnation Would I Do on a 38,000-Acre Ranch?
A Michigander with dreams of owning a massive piece of Texas land isn't sure how he would occupy himself on his $32.5 million spread.
The Texanist
February 15, 2020
The Texanist: Isn’t It Time for a ‘Hamilton’-Style Musical About the Texas Revolution?
A McKinney man wants to see William Travis singing and dancing his way across the Alamo Plaza.
The Texanist
February 8, 2020
The Texanist: What Is the Most Romantic Spot in Texas?
As Valentine’s Day beckons, a Midlander in a new relationship is looking for an intimate getaway.
The Texanist
February 2, 2020
The Texanist: Are the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader Uniforms Skimpier Than They Used to Be?
A San Antonio football fan wonders if the squad’s already small outfits have gotten even smaller over the years.
The Texanist
January 18, 2020
The Texanist: Is It Mean to Correct a Foreigner’s Wrong Ideas About Texas?
A Dallas man worries that he should have let a British couple continue to believe that cattle run rampant through the streets of his city.
The Texanist
January 13, 2020
The Texanist: Who on Earth Holds a Cookout at a Highway Rest Stop?
A Grapevine man is puzzled by those ubiquitous roadside grills.
The Texanist
December 21, 2019
The Texanist: Where Did the Phrase “Texas Leaguer” Come From?
A Lufkin man asks a sports-related question—and gets more answers than he bargained for.
The Texanist
December 14, 2019
The Texanist: Should I Stop Wearing My Stetson Now That They’ve Become So Popular?
A Dallas man worries that hipsters have commandeered his favorite style of hat.
The Texanist
September 22, 2019
The Texanist: How Can You Be a Texan If You’re a Liberal?
An unnamed person from an unspecified place has an unsavory point of view.
The Texanist
September 15, 2019
The Texanist: The ‘Nub’ of a Corny Dog Is Good Eatin’, Right?
An Austin couple debates the culinary worthiness of the crusty little ferrule beloved by many State Fair of Texas-goers.
The Texanist
August 31, 2019
The Texanist: What Do I Do When I See an Upside Down Texas Flag?
A Dallas man vacationing on the Jersey Shore is discombobulated by a discombobulated Lone Star Flag.
The Texanist
August 25, 2019
The Texanist: Is There Really Only One Natural Lake in Texas?
A Southlake transplant falls hook, line, and sinker for the lie aquatic.
The Texanist
August 11, 2019
The Texanist: Are the Marfa Lights Overrated?
An El Paso man wasn’t impressed by his recent viewing of the West Texas phenomenon.
The Texanist
August 3, 2019
The Texanist: If You Didn’t Live in Austin, Where Would You Live?
A Houston man wants to know if our columnist would be happy in another of Texas's many wonderful locales.
The Texanist
July 27, 2019
The Texanist: Is It OK to Wear My Late Uncle’s Giraffe-Skin Cowboy Boots?
A British man is feeling guilty about walking around in exotic animal hide.
The Texanist
July 20, 2019
The Texanist: Why Do We Share a State Bird With Five Other States?
A pair of Austin birders think it’s time to replace the Northern mockingbird with something more . . . Texas-y.
The Texanist
July 7, 2019
The Texanist: What’s the Best Swimming Hole in Texas?
A San Antonio woman is looking for some liquid relief from the heat. The Texanist has a deluge of options.
The Texanist
June 30, 2019
The Texanist: My Husband Shouldn’t Be Driving Around Town Without His Shirt On, Should He?
This week: Topless man on heedless car trip!
The Texanist
June 14, 2019
The Texanist: Who Invented the ‘Texas-Style’ Burger?
A Houston man is puzzled by the mustard-laden grub at Jack in the Box and McDonald’s.
The Texanist
June 2, 2019
The Texanist: Help. My Friend Says Florida Is More Important to the Space Program Than Texas!
Petty state rivalries, the final frontier.
The Texanist
May 12, 2019
The Texanist: What’s the Difference Between a Farm to Market Road and a Ranch to Market Road?
A Houston man visits Austin and is mildly flummoxed by RM 2222.
The Texanist
May 5, 2019
The Texanist: Have Texans Played a Big Role in the Space Program?
A Dallas man knows all about the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center. It’s the people he wonders about.
The Texanist
April 28, 2019
The Texanist: Is the “Big Texas Sky” Really All That Big?
An Austin man notes that the sky is the sky, no matter where you go.