Comedy, Mullethead and Hambone

Navigating Texas Talk: British Tourists In The Lone Star

Cowboy holding Texas flag next to British woman and her flag

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Setting: Under the neon glow of the Lonestar Saloon sign, patrons fill the room with anticipation for another night of laughter. Mullethead and Hambone, Texasโ€™s favorite comedic duo, stroll onto the stage, ready to unravel a tale of linguistic adventures. Tonight itโ€™s how British tourists navigate Texas.

Opening the Show

Mullethead: “Howdy y’all! Itโ€™s a fine night for some shenanigans. Weโ€™re the guys who put the โ€˜Texโ€™ in โ€˜textbook.โ€™”

Speak Texan in 30 Minutes or Less

Speak Texan in 30 Minutes or Less

4.6 / 5 (400 ratings)

This perfect stocking stuffer is a parody of Berlitz phrasebooks. Veteran Lone Star journalist Lou Hudson has spilled the beans on how best to wrap your tongue around Texaspeak so that even recovering Yankees can make their way in this whole other country.

Hambone: “Thatโ€™s right! Tonight, weโ€™re gonna chat about something tricky. It’s as slippery as a slick dance floor. Texan talk is our topic, and our British friends are tryinโ€™ to wrap their stiff upper lips around it.”

Winston Churchill in bar with cowboy sitting on barstools.
Winston Churchill hangs out in cowboy bar

The Churchill Connection

Mullethead: “You ever hear Winston Churchillโ€™s line? ‘Britain and America, two countries divided by a common language.’ I reckon he probably meant Texas and England!”

The crowd chuckles, fueling the duoโ€™s comedic flames.

Hambone: “Yessir, seems like every week a new batch of British tourists wade through Texas. It’s like theyโ€™re navigating the bogs of Scotland. Only itโ€™s the words thatโ€™ve got โ€˜em bogged down.”

Culinary Confusions

Mullethead: “Last week, one British gent asked for โ€˜bangers and mash.โ€™ I said, You want firecrackers and moonshine? Pardner, you came to the right place!”

Hambone: “Turns out, โ€˜bangers and mashโ€™ has a whole different meaning when youโ€™re talking about sausage and potatoes. I donโ€™t think he appreciated our version very much.”

white plate of bangers and mash on table in British pub.
Bangers and Mash

Texas Mannerisms in Focus

Mullethead: “And how about them Texas mannerisms? Like ‘bless your heart’ and ‘mindinโ€™ your Pโ€™s and Qโ€™s’. To Brits, itโ€™s about as clear as a pint of Guinness!”

Hambone: “Oh, British hearts skip when we say, โ€˜Bless your heart.โ€™ They think weโ€™re holding a prayer meetin’ when all weโ€™re doinโ€™ is sharing a little Texas sarcasm.”

Fixin’ to Confuse

Giggles ripple through the audience, and Mullethead and Hambone feed off them, bolstering their delivery.

Mullethead: “One British lady asked in a store what โ€˜fixinโ€™ toโ€™ meant. She thought we were about to tinker with something broken. Little did she know it just means weโ€™re โ€˜goinโ€™, or โ€˜gettin’ ready, to do somethinโ€™. Could be anything really.”

Hambone: “And reckon what happens when Texans go, ‘Iโ€™m fixinโ€™ to mosey on down the road.’ Theyโ€™ll be thinkinโ€™ weโ€™re takinโ€™ a leisurely stroll. In reality, weโ€™re simply gettinโ€™ ready to leave or go somewhere else!”

2 pints of Guinness on bar in British pub

Unique Texan Expressions

Mullethead: “Then there’s ‘Howdy’โ€”a simple term with many uses. Brits canโ€™t decide if itโ€™s a genuine greeting or the green light to start a hoedown!”

The crowd roars with laughter, slapping their thighs and bumping shoulders in appreciation.

Hambone: “I sโ€™pose itโ€™s like speakin’ Shakespeare when their ears expect us to sound like the Wild West. Words like ‘yonder’ and ‘reckon’ leave them wondering if weโ€™re writinโ€™ cowboy poetry.”

More Mannerisms

Mullethead: “And letโ€™s not forget about local gems like ‘holler,’ which ain’t the same hollerin’ theyโ€™d get across the pond. In Texas, itโ€™s akin to a whole conversation tree!”

Hambone: “Same story with ‘all hat, no cattle.’ For us, it’s a way to say someone’s all talk and no action. Brits are over there looking for livestock in cowboy hats.”

Cheeky British Humor

Mullethead: “Now, Englandโ€™s got their own quirks, sayinโ€™ your โ€˜cheekyโ€™ means you have a cultural trait, usually non-offensive. Now, in Texas, โ€˜cheekyโ€™ sounds a whole lot like โ€˜sassyโ€™ with a side of ‘whoop-ass’. Not to worry, though, far from wanting to fight, theyโ€™re saying you are bold.โ€

An applause escapes from the crowd, punctuating the duo’s high-energy delivery.

image of Texas flag merging with British flag

Yโ€™all Good?

Hambone: “And how about โ€˜yโ€™allโ€™? One word, many uses. Theyโ€™re still trying to figure out why we use it for both one person and a crowd!”

Mullethead: “To a Brit, itโ€™s an identity crisis. One or many, yโ€™all suits just fine. And bless their hearts, theyโ€™ve tried bringinโ€™ it home!”

Hambone walks around pretending to serve tea.

Hambone: “Imagine a Londoner tryinโ€™ out, โ€˜Yโ€™all fancy a cuppa?โ€™โ€”itโ€™s like a fish ridinโ€™ a bicycle!”

BBQ Invitations

Mullethead: “And then thereโ€™s โ€˜dinnerโ€™ and โ€˜supper.โ€™ Britain, make up your minds! Regions from Manchester to the Isle of Wight debate the dinner/supper dichotomy while we sip our sweet tea!”

The laughter grows louder, echoing off the walls and bouncing back to wrap around the duo.

Hambone: “When Texans invite yโ€™all to a barbecue, Brits think we mean a cozy indoor gathering. Little do they know, BBQ means half the neighborhood’s coming to your backyard. There’s beer on ice, and brisket thatโ€™s been in the smoker since yesterday!”

Texas backyard BBQ party setup, picnic tables with red and white checkerboard tablecloths, beer and food

Redneck Polenta

Mullethead: “And our beloved ‘grits.’ A Brit nibbles cautiously, expecting them to taste like yellow corn polenta! Surprise! Itโ€™s ground Southern white hominy, nothinโ€™ yellaโ€™ about โ€˜em, they โ€˜aint scared or putinโ€™ on airs!”

The crowd erupts into laughter, envisioning the culinary culture shock.

Hambone: “Now picture this: ‘We’re fixinโ€™ to have a throwdown.’ Brits expect boxing gloves, but it’s just a roll up your sleeves, put on a bib, and letโ€™s eat kinda party.”

Texan Traditions

Mullethead: “And speaking of eats, when Brits hear ‘chicken fried steak,’ they brace themselves. Itโ€™s like theyโ€™re expecting fried chicken on a skewer.”

Hambone: “Imagine their faces when the plate lands, havinโ€™ misunderstood the absence of chicken entirely! Theyโ€™re thinkinโ€™, ‘Whereโ€™s the bird?'”

Fixin To Be Texan

Fixin To Be Texan

4.6 / 5 (75 ratings)

You dont just move here and immediately become a Texan; it takes training. This delightfully witty book takes you through the process of understanding our conversation, why and how we dress the way we do, why pickups are a fact of life, and how you can acquire the necessary big hair. Fixin to Be Texan pokes gentle fun at the Texas mystique. Residents of the state will get a big kick out of Bryants clever way of identifying our predominant characteristics. Newcomers will use it as a tool for understanding the wonderful and sometimes incomprehensible behavior of our fine native population. Read more

Texas Portions

Mullethead: โ€œAnd theyโ€™re shocked by the size. In Texas, chicken fried steak is as big as a hubcap. They freak out! Saying, ‘look at the size of it’.โ€

Hambone: โ€œAnd a Texan companion laughs, saying sarcastically, โ€˜Yah, you should have gotten the big one!โ€™โ€

The audience, caught up in the mayhem of Texas culinary and linguistic treasures, claps and hoots with delight.

Mullethead: “It wells my heart with Texas pride to see Brits attempt Southern talk. It’s like wading through cream gravyโ€”a little messy but so delicious!”

Hambone: “Thatโ€™s right, the beauty of language, itโ€™s like dancing with words, yโ€™all. Wonderfully simple and endlessly creative!”

White platter with large chicken-fried steak, cream gravy, mashed potatoes on booth table in classic diner
Chicken Fried steak, mashed potatoes, cream gravy

Bringing it All Together

Mullethead: “So whether you’re sayin’ โ€˜cheersโ€™ or โ€˜howdy,โ€™ weโ€™re all just tryinโ€™ to get along. We live in a big olโ€™ world where dialects dance like tumbleweeds.”

Hambone: “So here’s the deal, y’all. Next time you meet British tourists navigating Texas, show your Southern compassion and teach ’em a Texan word or two. They might surprise you with a cheeky โ€˜y’allโ€™ themselves.”

Until Next Time!

The duo takes a bow, the crowd rising to their feet with appreciative applause.

Mullethead: “Donโ€™t forget to drop by eathenet.com for more antics and laughs straight from Texas. Share a smile, pass on some howdysโ€™, and tell โ€˜em Mullethead and Hambone sent yโ€™all!”

Hambone: “Good night, yโ€™all, and rememberโ€”language divides, but laughter unites!”

With a final tip of their ten-gallon hats, Mullethead and Hambone leave the stage amidst a chorus of cheers.


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