tex-mex

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TEX-MEX. An informal and occasionally pejorative term for: (1) Anything considered to be a combination of Texan and Mexican, most commonly in food, cultural traditions, and language, especially along the common 1,200-mile border. (2) Anything of Mexican origin found in TEXAS or along the border. Tex-Mex food includes enchiladas, frijoles refritos with salsa picante (refried beans with a piquant sauce), and tacos, prepared in the Northern Mexican style. In language, the term refers to any of several varieties of SPANISH (also sometimes referred to as Border Lingo) that may or may not show English influence, including code-mixing with English by Spanish-speakers:
Husband. ¿ Que necesitamos? Wife. Hay que comprar pan, con thin slices. [to sales clerk] ¿Donde está el thin-sliced bread? Clerk. Está en aisle three, sobre el second shelf, en el wrapper rojo. Wife. No lo encuentro. Clerk. Tal vez out of it (from Lorraine Goldman, ‘Tex-Mex’, English Today 5, Jan. 1986) [Translation: H. What do we need? W. We have to buy bread, with thin slices. Where's the thin-sliced bread? C. It's in aisle three, on the second shelf, in the red wrapper. W. I can't find it. C. Maybe we're out of it].

See SPANGLISH.

Tex-Mex •axe (US ax), Backs, Bax, fax, flax, lax, max, pax, Sachs, sax, saxe, tax, wax •co-ax • addax • Fairfax • Ceefax •Halifax • Telefax • Filofax • banjax •Ajax •pickaxe (US pickax) • gravlax •gravadlax • poleaxe • toadflax •parallax •battleaxe (US battleax) •minimax • climax • Betamax • anthrax •hyrax •borax, storax, thorax •syntax • surtax • beeswax • earwax •Berks, Lourenço Marques, Marks, Marx, Parks, Sparks •annex, convex, ex, flex, hex, perplex, Rex, sex, specs, Tex, Tex-Mex, vex •ibex • index • codex • tubifex •spinifex • pontifex • Telex • triplex •simplex • multiplex •ilex, silex •complex • duplex • circumflex • Amex •annexe • Kleenex • apex • Tipp-Ex •haruspex • perspex • Pyrex •Durex, Lurex, murex •Middlesex • unisex • Semtex • latex •cortex, Gore-tex, vortex •vertex • Jacques •breeks, idée fixe, maxixe, Weeks