Here Is The Truth In The Texas Stickers Vs. Prickers Debate

Recently, the question has been posted on social media asking if a certain thorny nuisance is called a "sticker" or a "pricker." The question seemed ridiculous at first, but then I started seeing the arguments. People were getting worked up over this. It's time Texas settled the debate for everyone.

The Debate Over What We Should Call The Ball Of Ouch In Our Yard

The object in question is a little ball of sharp thorns that anyone who has ever walked barefoot through a yard is familiar with. These abominations come out of nowhere and lodge themselves in your skin, inflicting a special kind of expletive-inducing pain.

Social media has been fighting over what these are officially called, and the answers are wild. They range from "prickers" to "stickers" to some people getting them confused with the more terrifying goathead. Fortunately, those of us in Texas know the right answer.

The Many Names For "Stickers" In Texas

First, no one calls these things "prickers." That's silly. Not in the history of ever has a person walked barefoot in their yard cussing about the "prickers."

The proper term that is most widely accepted in Texas is "stickers." It's easy to understand why. They find a way to stick to anything and everything. That includes deep inside the soft meat of your foot.

Other accepted names in Texas, depending on region and whether or not you're talking about the whole plant, just the seed pods, or speaking in a more academic sense, are:

Sandburs
Sticker Burs (pronounced stick-a-burrs in some parts of the Lone Star State)
Sandspurs
Sandburs
Cockleburs

The "sticker" part of the plant is actually a seed pod. These painful burs attach to whatever they can in hopes of catching a ride. It's an interesting and infuriatingly painful means of distribution.

That settles it. These balls of torment are not "prickers," they're stickers. May your feet stay safe this spring and summer.