tex-mex

TEX-MEX

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.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

TOM McARTHUR. "TEX-MEX." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

TOM McARTHUR. "TEX-MEX." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-TEXMEX.html

TOM McARTHUR. "TEX-MEX." Concise Oxford Companion to the English Language. 1998. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O29-TEXMEX.html

Learn more about citation styles

Tex-Mex

Tex-Mex / ˈteks ˈmeks/ • adj. (esp. of cooking and music) having a blend of Mexican and southern American features originally characteristic of the border regions of Texas and Mexico. • n. 1. music or cooking of such a type. 2. a variety of Mexican Spanish spoken in Texas.

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Tex-Mex." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Tex-Mex." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-texmex.html

"Tex-Mex." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-texmex.html

Learn more about citation styles

Tex-Mex

Tex-Mexaxe (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

Show all research tools

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

"Tex-Mex." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. 12 Feb. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"Tex-Mex." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Encyclopedia.com. (February 12, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-TexMex.html

"Tex-Mex." Oxford Dictionary of Rhymes. 2007. Retrieved February 12, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O233-TexMex.html

Learn more about citation styles

Free newspaper and magazine articles

Tex-Mex Redux.
Magazine article from: Restaurants &amp; Institutions; 7/1/1999
Tex Mex.(News)
Newspaper article from: Western Mail (Cardiff, Wales); 8/21/2006
New restaurant adds some Tex-Mex spice to its menu.(SunBurst)
Newspaper article from: Daily Herald (Arlington Heights, IL); 7/13/2001

Facts and information from other sites

Pictures from Google Image Search

Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture
Click to see an enlarged picture

See more pictures of tex-mex