I’m just starting back to work on a series I’ve been wanting to write for a long time. The series is set in my home state of Texas. And I got to thinking about past stories I’ve written set in Texas. I had one editor that constantly wanted to change my words. You see non-Texans usually have a hard time with some of our vocabulary and the way we do things.  So it’s always interesting to see what comes up with editors because let’s face it, Texas is…well Texas, and there is no place like it on earth.

So in the spirit of things, I thought I’d enlighten you non-Texans to a few Texas facts and things that have come up for me before with non-Texan editors:

  1. Texans have a pride in their state like no other state in the union. We aren’t just convinced Texas is the best, we KNOW it is  😉
  2. In Texas, we hold doors open for people and we talk to strangers in the grocery line.
  3. Speaking of groceries…  that thing you push your groceries in all the way up to the check out is called a buggy.
  4. Here it doesn’t matter what soda you’re drinking it’s called a Coke.  Though honestly, I suspect Dr. Pepper is the most popular soda here. “Do you want a coke?”  “Sure, give me a Dr. Pepper.”
  5. Yes, grown men and women call their fathers “Daddy.” And more often than not our mothers are “Mama.”
  6. Yes, if you sing out “The stars at night are big and bright,” we will clap our hands and finish: “Deep in the Heart of Texas.”
  7. We really do say, “Ya’ll”
  8. You won’t drive a mile without seeing a truck on the road with you.
  9. We have beaches, deserts, rolling hills and plains.  We even have the foothills of mountains.
  10. “Aaaaaant….”  means cease and desist immediately or you’re gonna get it! every child and pet knows this sound.
  11. If we pronounce the g in -ing words we’re being sarcastic or making fun of you.
  12. Worsh = wash
  13. Yonder = over there
  14. Weather changes here quicker than you can blink an eye.  And yes you can have all 4 seasons in 1 week.
  15. The phrase “Hey Ya’ll, watch this!” is most often followed with an emergency room visit.

If you have not seen Joe Rogan’s comedy about Texas, you should look it up.  It’s true!  If you have not seen the Sponge Bob episode with Sandy talking about insulting Texas, you should look it up…also true.