Everything is BIGGER in Texas! Is it really?

[Gabriella Mercí]

I feel misled by this saying as my breast size did not increase once I crossed the state line🤣. I can say the amount of naughty personalities here is massive. I can also confirm the amount of dirty minds between here and Austin is the most per square mile in the country, in my experience thus far. What do you think? Happy Sunday Houston!

[Dorian Gray]

Barry Popik’s online etymology dictionary, The Big Apple, says that the phrase, “everything is bigger in Texas” (and similar variants) was popular by 1950. Although the phrase may have reached a certain level of familiarity or popularity by that date, the Texan attitude relating to the bigness of Texas and things-Texas predates 1950 by many years. The earliest-known appearance of the phrase in print is from 1913, and similar sentiments appeared, in slightly different forms, even earlier.



Remarks by a Texas nursery operator in 1906, for example, expressed the big-in-Texas attitude. In opening comments before the annual meeting of the Association of American Nurserymen, which was held in Dallas, Texas that year, he warned out-of-state attendees about communicating with the locals:


I want to tell you about these Texas nurserymen, and Texas people in general. Don't misconstrue the things which they say to you. When one of them starts talking to you in a manner which in any other country would be called boasting, remember that it is not boasting in Texas. . . . A Texas nurseryman was in New York once and was talking with a New York real estate man. . . . They were going down the street together when the New York man happened to spy some very large pumpkins on the other side of the street.


"Now, just gaze upon these," he said. "Have you got anything in Texas to beat that?" The Texas man said, "What are they, cantaloupes?" The New York man said, "Now, look here, Texas, I know you Texas people have got nerve, but you haven't the nerve to tell me that cantaloupes grow that big in Texas." The Texas man said, "What are they?" "They are pumpkins," replied the New York man. The Texas man said, "Why, hell, fellow, the seed get that big in Texas." (Laughter).



When we’re talking about landmass, the answer is yes — Texas is larger than the rest. Or rather, second largest. As the biggest state in the contiguous U.S., Texas takes up an astounding 268,596 square miles, meaning it comprises 7.4% of the entire country. Even more shocking, the smallest U.S. state, Rhode Island, can fit inside of Texas 221 times.



In 2019, the Census Bureau estimated Texas’ population to be 29 million, which again puts it in second place for the largest state by population. And with a growth rate of1.34%, Texas is getting bigger by the minute. The 2018 Census data reported that over half of the fastest-growing counties in the country were all located in the Lone Star State.


In addition to being both sizable and vast in terms of population and landmass, Texas is also known for its mammoth architecture. As the biggest state capitol in the country, Austin’s Texas State Capitol towers over its competition. The palatial building is taller than the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C., and it covers roughly 18 acres of floor space. As long as we’re making comparisons to the nation’s capital city, we might as well mention that Texas’ San Jacinto Monument is 12 feet taller than the famed Washington Monument.



While it appears that Texas is proficient at building enormous structures, is there anything considerable about the state’s natural landscape? Indeed, there is. If you’ve ever driven through Texas, you’ve probably remarked on the vast open land and the state’s enormous sky that stretches on for miles and miles. Then there’s the Rio Grande, the famous waterway that divides Texas and northern Mexico, which translates to “Big River.” Big Bend, one of the state’s two national parks, also pronounces its significant size in its name.


Despite all the calculations and percentages that verify the state’s significant size, there’s something else that looms large in the state of Texas — and it can’t be measured. There’s the lingering love for the cowboy of the Old West, an iconic American figure that lives on in lore. There’s also the legend of the Alamo, which has become an enduring symbol for the perseverance and tenacity of Texans. And of course, there is Texas pride, which seems to be residing within every citizen and is the biggest thing the great state has to offer.

[Cendell M]

^^^Lol

[Michael8219]

Well I’ve had some hot encounters in Europe, Asia, Aruba, and Mexico as well as other parts of the world. But lately when I look down and have a great session in Texas, I think to myself: “Self, everything, including my massive engorged self, really is BIGGER in Texas!”