New post in the "Handbook for new Texan's" series...

Ok folks being a hardcore Texianado, I enjoy bringing new knowledge to new Texan's and to the world.  This is the third post in a series I'm taking from my "Handbook For New Texans". This weeks post is also taken from the "Texas Vocabulary" section of  the handbook.

This word is a staple to Texas and one that Texas takes great pride in. It's a state icon and is the state tree of Texas. My great uncle J.H. Burkett made this nutty little morsel a household name in the early to mid 1900's here in Texas when he successfully grafted a certain strain of this tree. At one point, the Burkett Pecan was the most sought after pecan tree in the market here in Texas. Then, that silly health craze thang took over. I'm talking about the pecan if you haven't figured it out by now. By the way, if you want to read about my uncle's original Burkett Pecan tree, click this "link".

Now some folks in Texas get a wrinkle in their craw when they hear this word mispronounced, because it's been pronounced a certain way here in Texas for centuries. So, here is an exerpt from my "Handbook For New Texans" to read over and study.

Pecan -  noun - “Puh-con”

This is the state tree of Texas and it has only one pronunciation. From El Paso to Beaumont and from Lubbock to Brownsville, it's always the same word. It ain’t pronounced “pee-can” because a “pee-can” is the round, white depository device in a bathroom that you sit on. And it’s not “pee-con”, it’s “puh-cahn”, that's it, plain and simple.

I ain't doubting that it may be pronounced "pee-can" or "pee-con" in the east, the west or the north, but in Texas, it's "puh-con". Learning to pronounce this word right is elementary in becoming a Texan in good standing.

So that's this weeks lesson from the "Handbook For New Texans". Y'all have a fantastic day and remember, God blessed Texas!


The Impulsive Texan