1. The Great Longhorn
   The Ol' Oil Rig
2. The Mega Mockingbird
   Big Tex

In 2012, the 52-ft tall, 60-year-old cowboy by the name of Big Tex caught fire and burned to the ground before an audience of fair-goers. Not to worry, though: A new Big Tex has since replaced him, this time with fire-retardant clothing.

1. A hospital
   A mission
2. A mansion
   A fort

Before the Alamo became a military fort for the battle against the Mexican army for the territory of Texas, it was a mission for the Spanish Franciscans. Texans remember the Alamo as a turning point in the fight for independence.

1. Mexican food made in Texas
   Food made from the mixture of Mexican heritage and other Texan influences
2. A kind of music
   A kind of dancing

Mexican food purists (and you'll encounter a lot of these in Texas) will tell you that Tex-Mex is not Mexican food. The food found in "Mexican restaurants" in much of Texas diverges widely from the cuisine you'd find in Mexico. Tex-Mex food blends elements of Mexican heritage with Texas signatures, creating a unique regional food.

1. The panhandle
   The pointer
2. The rectangle
   The finger

Texans affectionately refer to the northernmost promontory of their state as "the panhandle." Flat grasslands dominate the landscape of this region, though these are interrupted by the dramatic cliffs of Palo Duro and Caprock Canyons.

1. Water sandals
   High-heels
2. Running shoes
   Cowboy boots

Cowboy boots, with the pointed toe to slide into the stirrup and the high, tough leather to protect the legs from brambles and rattlers, perfectly suit life on the range. Whether or not Texans live a cowboy lifestyle, most own a pair of boots.

1. To a mountain ridge
   To the edge of a waterfall
2. To a field of bluebonnets
   To an field of sunflowers

Once spring lands like the dew on Central Texas, bluebonnets, the state flower, begin to bloom in every field and highway shoulder. Nearly every family for miles around will don white and gather in a field while a photographer captures their gaiety.

1. Area 51
   The Trinity Site
2. The Marfa Lights
   The McDonald Observatory

Since the late 19th century, people have reported seeing bizarre, orb-shaped, erratic lights over the small town of Marfa, TX. Many speculate that the lights may be the result of paranormal activity. Skeptics attribute the mystery lights to passing car lights or changing atmospheric conditions.

1. "Hey guys"
   "Hey y'all"
2. "Hey you'se guys"
   "Hey folks"

In Texas, as in some other places in the South, people appropriately use the "you" plural "y'all," which is a contraction of "you all." Common in other languages, as in the "ustedes" of Spanish, y'all only makes sense as proper grammar.

1. Raccoon
   Possum
2. Armadillo
   Elk

Armadillos, those strange, dinosaur-like, armored creatures, line Texas highways. Of course, deer are probably equally common. But the armadillo is such a common sight that you'll see its image adorning many a Texas establishment.

1. Kemp's Ridley sea turtle
   Bottlenosed dophin
2. Snow crab
   Gulf shrimp

Kemp's Ridley sea turtles, the most endangered sea turtle species in the world, return each year to the Texas Gulf Coast to lay their young. These turtles can grow to be 32 inches long and weigh up to 100 pounds.

1. Chili
   BBQ
2. Pastries
   Pizza

Each year, thousands flock to the western town of Terlingua, at the gateway of Big Bend National Park, to engage in a dramatic chili cook-off. This is some serious chili cooking — contestants have to gain entry by qualifying in other, smaller cook-offs.

1. "Out on the Texas plains"
   "Deep in the heart of Texas"
2. "Livin' the cowboy life"
   "When you're out on horseback"

Every Texan likely knows the second half of this line and has raised a glass to sing along. "Deep in the Heart of Texas" debuted in 1942, and that year there were five different versions on the Billboard chart.

1. Smothered in red hot sauce, out of a bag
   On a china platter
2. On a stick over a fire
   Shared out a bowl, with ranch dressing

A traditional way to consume fried pig skin is to drench a small bag of them in hot sauce and eat them with your sticky, red fingers. This delicacy can be found distributed by your neighborhood ice cream truck.

1. Pancakes and sausage
   Donuts
2. Breakfast tacos
   Bagels and cream cheese

Breakfast tacos may hold the title of being the essential Central Texas breakfast staple. You can pick them up at food trucks, taco stands, Mexican restaurants and even gas stations. Depending on the region, favorites range from potato and egg to barbacoa to a tortilla filled only with bacon.

1. Mesquite
   Pine
2. Oak
   Cottonwood

The shift to the East Texas landscape can be easily deciphered by the sudden abundance of Loblolly Pine. Many a Texan has looked up into the pine needles swaying in the breeze and asked themselves, "Am I still in Texas?"

1. Black bear
   Jackalope
2. Chupacabra
   Grizzly bear

Though many may have reported seeing a jackalope or the chupacabra in Big Bend National Park, supposedly they are fictional creatures. It's not fiction, though, that you could see a black bear roaming the mountainous desert of this vast national park.

1. Mermaids
   Sharks
2. Alligators
   Crocodiles

Residents of rural East Texas, and even urban areas like Tyler, Texas, have grown accustomed to seeing alligators in rivers, lakes and swimming holes. Some brave souls may just brave the water alongside the reptiles.

1. Carne asada
   Enchiladas
2. Tamales
   Tacos

The tradition of eating tamales as part of the Christmas, La Navidad, celebration began in Mexico and has become a staple of Texas households. Many families gather to make the labor-intensive delicacy of corn masa filled with seasoned meat or beans and cheese in a festivity called a tamalada.

1. Whataburger
   Texas Stop Sign
2. Burger Queen
   Texas Wendy's

Texans sometimes refer to Dairy Queen as a "Texas Stop Sign." Even though it originated in Illinois, Dairy Queen has more locations in Texas than anywhere else, has a specific Texas menu and is, hands down, a Texas institution.

1. Bull riding
   Calf roping
2. Goat racing
   Steer wrestling

The rodeo was named the official sport of Texas in 1997, but it has been around much longer than that. The sport began as casual competition and entertainment among cowboys during the roundup and has grown into a professional industry. At a Texas rodeo, you can likely see all of the above, except goat racing.

1. 7 hours
   9 hours
2. 10 hours
   11 hours

Highway I-10 stretches 745 miles from Houston to El Paso, and the drive typically takes just under 11 hours. Of course, everyone knows that Texas ranks the largest in the upper 48 states. Alaska, coming in at the biggest state in the country, definitely has Texas beat, with 1400 miles from north to south.

1. Jesus
   The Buddha
2. St. Francis
   The Virgin of Guadalupe

A statue of the Virgin of Guadalupe can commonly be found in makeshift backyard shrines, created out of bathtubs. The Virgin of Guadalupe (Mary) appeared to an indigenous man, Juan Diego, in 1531 A.D., and is the patron saint of Mexico.

1. Pulled pork
   Baby-back ribs
2. Dino ribs
   Brisket

Texans began smoking briskets, along with the rest of the animal, for community celebrations. These days, brisket is considered the crowning item on any BBQ menu. Connoisseurs look for the pink ring around the outside of the meat as evidence of the low and slow indirect smoking method that characterizes this Texas specialty.

1. Sequins
   Turquoise lapel
2. Pearl snaps
   Mother of pearl buttons

Pearl snap shirts have dressed up Texas fashion since the 1950s. The glossy, shiny snaps add flair to a traditional button-up and have the added functional benefit of coming off easily if you get caught in the thorns of a Mesquite tree while out riding horses.

1. People who live in Mexico but work in Texas
   Large agricultural operations
2. Factories in Texas that primarily produce handcrafted items
   Factories owned by U.S. companies yet located in Mexican border cities

The word "maquiladora" comes from the Spanish verb "maquilar," meaning "to process in exchange for a portion of the product." These factories, located in Mexico, provided a way for U.S. companies to assemble their products in Mexico and export them from there.

1. "Come and Take It"
   "Live Free or Die"
2. "The Lone Star State"
   "You may all go to hell and I will go to Texas."

The slogan "Come and Take It" dares passers-by, as did the original flag. The "Texians" of Gonzales, Texas, taunted the Mexican army with this line raised on a flag when the Mexican army came to retrieve a cannon they had loaned the town to defend themselves against the Apaches. The slogan became a rallying cry.

1. Never wear your hat inside a building.
   Never wear a black hat in the summer or a straw hat in the winter.
2. Never wear a cowboy hat inside your place of employment.
   Never wear a cowboy hat outside of a ranch or a country music concert.

A black felt hat should only be worn during the winter and the straw hat during the summer. Of course, not everyone is a traditionalist these days. But beware: Tradition is powerful. Thecowboyhatguide.com warns that asking to try on someone’s hat is akin to asking to try on their underwear.

1. Planting corn
   Planting strawberries
2. Planting apples
   Planting fall tomatoes

One upside to the weather staying warm most of the year is that Texans can grow tomatoes in the fall. When August rolls around, garden shops begin advertising "Fall Tomatoes."

1. Tyler Childers
   Jason Boland
2. Jason Aldean
   Shania Twain

Music critics argue that Texas country is more acoustic and instrument-driven than its mainstream, electric counterpart, Nashville country. Jason Boland exemplifies Texas country music, with the band's fiddle-and-mandolin-heavy songs laced together with tight, poetic lyrics.

1. 1
   2
2. 3
   4

Texans grimly joke that there are only two seasons in Texas: summer and spring. It never truly gets cold in most of the state, and when it gets hot, it stays hot.

1. It's actually slower than a tortoise.
   It's not a rabbit.
2. It can jump up to two times its height.
   It's slower than a roadrunner.

The jackrabbit, technically, is not a rabbit but a hare. Hares, unlike rabbits, are born with their eyes open and covered in hair — ready to make a run for it. The jackrabbit got its name from its long ears — early settlers called it a jackass rabbit because of its semblance to a donkey.

1. Mexican
   Caddo
2. Spanish
   French

The word Texas derives from the Native American Caddo community's word "taysha," meaning friend. This evolved into the Spanish form, Tejas, and from there became the English word, Texas.

1. Dark and thick with heavy maple flavor
   Tangy mustard overtones, slightly sweet
2. Maple and tomato, kicked up with bourbon
   Balanced tomato, celery and onion, with a thinner vinegar finish

Texas BBQ sauce, while optional and usually served on the side, distinguishes itself by its thinner, vinegar-forward profile. This sauce has vegetable tones in it beyond the tomato and can be found in spicy varieties.

1. Its beautiful display of yellow flowers
   Its drought resistance
2. The aroma it releases when it rains
   The shade it provides for desert animals

The creosote plant, found in the Chihuahuan Desert that extends over West Texas, emits a fragrant aroma when it rains. Many people claim that the plant itself smells like rain, making it a treasure in places that do not see much rainfall.

1. Saint Arnold
   Pedernales
2. Shiner
   Karbach

Saint Arnold Brewing Company in Houston holds the illustrious title of Texas' oldest craft brewery. Shiner lays claim to being Texas' oldest independent brewery. Saint Arnold has been shipping craft kegs since 1994.