Fajitas

Fajitas

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FirstMention.com explores the history and origin of

common words and phrases

Time to admit to a FirstMention.com bias. I tend to find the FirstMention of words as they appear to an American audience.

Not always. Sometimes I throw in an erudite reference to the Times of London, or somesuch. But for the most part, I take a decidedly US perspective.

So it is with fajitas. Long familiar to some audiences, no doubt. But when did it start showing up in the U. S. of A.?

Not only when, but where?

The Oxford English Dictionary cites a 1971 use of the word in a Tex-Mex cookbook. But the very FirstMention I could find in print dates back to September 5, 1975, and the Valley Morning Star in Harlingen, Texas (so I fudged a bit on the date...it's either 1971 or 1975).

Scurlock's grocery store was offering, in 1975, lean, skinless fajitas for $1.09/lb, along with S&H Green Stamps.

Not to be outdone, Calzada's Market, also in the Harlingen area, took out a full page ad in the October 2, 1975 paper featuring not only fajitas, but costillas, tripas de res, fresh cabrito, tortillas, bulk pinto beans, and -- God bless 'em -- Strawberry Quik.

Click here for a larger image.

I can hear them sizzling!

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