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
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!
Latest
51-100 of 270 Articles
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.
The Texanist
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.
Film & TV
October 30, 2020
Thomas Haden Church Will Star as the Texanist
Plus, how ‘Dallas’ brought down the Soviet Union, Netflix’s ‘Selena’ gets a real trailer, and Luke Wilson plays a fire-belching robot duck.
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.
Film & TV
October 23, 2020
From the Editor: Going Hollywood
Texas Monthly is making big moves into film and television.
By Dan Goodgame![Dan Goodgame's Profile Photo]()
The Texanist
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.
Film & TV
May 1, 2020
Hollywood, Texas: Matthew McConaughey Is Having a ‘Damn Good Pandemic’
Plus, St. Vincent launches a podcast in the shower, SXSW is sued over refunds, and the Texanist gets his own sitcom.
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.
The Texanist
April 14, 2019
The Texanist: Help! My In-Laws Call Queso “Cheese Dip”!
A Dallas man’s relations also inexplicably refer to guacamole as “avocado dip.”
The Texanist
April 7, 2019
The Texanist: Can My California-Born Wife Call Herself a Native Texan?
An Austin man argues that his spouse’s impressive Texas ancestry should count for something.
The Texanist
April 1, 2019
The Texanist: Are There Any Decent Dance Halls Left?
A Corpus Christi man pines for the days of two-stepping on those long wooden planks.
The Texanist
March 10, 2019
The Texanist: What Do I Do When a Yankee Calls My Cowboy Boots “Shoes”?
A Texan who spent a quarter of a century in Massachusetts is flummoxed by his former neighbors’ footwear foolishness.
The Texanist
March 3, 2019
The Texanist: Why Are People Telling Me Not to Kill the Copperheads on My Property?
A newcomer to East Texas thinks it’s fine to dispatch venomous snakes on sight.
The Texanist
February 23, 2019
The Texanist: Is “Steak Night” a Texas Thing?
A new arrival from Colorado wants the true-blue info on the red-meat special.
The Texanist
February 10, 2019
The Texanist: What Are the Ten Best Texas Movies?
A newcomer to the state is looking for a cinematic introduction to his adopted home.
The Texanist
February 3, 2019
The Texanist: Has PC Culture Tamed the Texanist’s Tongue?
A McKinney man thinks our fearless columnist isn't as sharp as he used to be.
The Texanist
February 3, 2019
The Texanist: Revisiting Some Favorites for February 2019
In our February “Love Letters to Texas” collector’s issue, the Texanist takes a walk down memory lane.
The Texanist
January 27, 2019
The Texanist: What Five Things Should I Do When I Get Back to Texas?
A soldier stationed in Afghanistan is looking forward to coming home.