--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500…" description: "\"Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken fried steak.\" — Larry McMurtry" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/larry-mcmurtry-2540_chickens_only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500_2213752.jpg" --- # Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across… ![“Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken fried steak.” quote by Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/larry-mcmurtry-2540_chickens_only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500_2213752.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/larry-mcmurtry-2540_chickens_only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500_2213752.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/larry-mcmurtry-2540_chickens_only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500_2213752.jpg) > “Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken fried steak.” [Larry McMurtry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The speaker criticizes someone for driving 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken fried steak, implying it's a sign of degeneration. **In simple terms:** Mocking a long drive without trying a local dish. Key Takeaway Embrace local experiences when traveling. Themes travel food culture regional identity Mood playful critical Type humorous cautionary When to use this quote - vacations - food tourism - regional road trips - travel blogs Key Concepts culinary tradition road trips Questions to Reflect On - What local foods define a region? - How to balance travel goals with cultural immersion? A Different Perspective Travelers may have dietary restrictions. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [500 Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/500-miles-531544/) [Chickens](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chickens/) [Degenerates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/degenerates/) [Drive 500](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/drive-500-4912172/) [Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/eating/) [Food](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/food/) [Fried Steak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fried-steak-1071501/) [Miles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miles/) [Miles Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/miles-texas-4912171/) [Steak](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/steak/) [Texas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas/) [Texas Eating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/texas-eating-4912170/) ## Related quotes > [Bikes parked out front mean good chicken-fried steak inside.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bikes-parked-out-front-mean-good-chicken-fried-steak-inside/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“I thought for the longest time that chicken-fried steak was steak that had been fried by specially trained chickens,”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kevin-hearne/i-thought-for-the-longest-time-that-chicken-fried-steak-was-steak/) [Kevin Hearne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kevin-hearne/) > [I always told the people at Cal Arts that if they wanted me to do Jazz studies, first of all, there couldn't be a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlie-haden/i-always-told-the-people-at-cal-arts-that-if-they-wanted-me-to-do/) [Charlie Haden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlie-haden/) > [Troops fighting for their lives should not have to ask a lawyer sitting in air conditioning 500 miles away for permission to drop a bomb.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/erik-prince/troops-fighting-for-their-lives-should-not-have-to-ask-a-lawyer/) [Erik Prince](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/erik-prince/) > [In 1978, the tradition of running from village to village with a message was revived. that first run was from Davis to Los Angeles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-banks/in-1978-the-tradition-of-running-from-village-to-village-with-a/) [Dennis Banks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-banks/) > [I walked 500 miles just to see a halo, when I opened my eyes I was blind as can be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-waits/i-walked-500-miles-just-to-see-a-halo-when-i-opened-my-eyes-i-was/) [Tom Waits](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-waits/) > [But I would walk 500 miles and I would walk 500 more Just to be the man who walked 1000 miles to fall down at your door.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/unkown/but-i-would-walk-500-miles-and-i-would-walk-500-more-just-to-be-the/) [Unkown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/unkown/) > [We had an electrical fault about 500 miles into the trip and lost more than half our fuel. 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I'm not into that kind of stuff.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-pierce/i-ve-never-even-been-into-those-supplements-or-any-of-that-i-don-t/) [Paul Pierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-pierce/) > [One of the mistakes I made was thinking chickens and penguins could sing, just like all the other animals in the 'Muppets.' But it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bret-mckenzie/one-of-the-mistakes-i-made-was-thinking-chickens-and-penguins-could/) [Bret McKenzie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bret-mckenzie/) > [My dad was proud of himself when he farted. He sounds like he's strangling a chicken when he farts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carl-barron/my-dad-was-proud-of-himself-when-he-farted-he-sounds-like-he-s/) [Carl Barron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carl-barron/) > [I joined PETA for minks and dogs. I need my beef, my chicken, my seafood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waka-flocka-flame/i-joined-peta-for-minks-and-dogs-i-need-my-beef-my-chicken-my-seafood/) [Waka Flocka Flame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waka-flocka-flame/) > [call it chicken salad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-dessen/call-it-chicken-salad/) [Sarah Dessen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-dessen/) > [In a way that somebody else converts to Judaism or becomes a Hare Krishna, I belong to the church of fried chicken.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/padma-lakshmi/in-a-way-that-somebody-else-converts-to-judaism-or-becomes-a-hare/) [Padma Lakshmi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/padma-lakshmi/) > [I eat a lot of chicken with salad or salmon with salad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-ellison/i-eat-a-lot-of-chicken-with-salad-or-salmon-with-salad/) [Jennifer Ellison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-ellison/) > [To this day I over prepare. 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I have oatmeal in the morning and then I have chicken breasts…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/i-m-such-a-fitness-freak-that-i-eat-so-plain-it-s-gross-i-have/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The chickens have come home to roast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jane-ace/the-chickens-have-come-home-to-roast/) [Jane Ace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jane-ace/) > [Dinner Special - Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-barry/dinner-special-turkey-2-35-chicken-or-beef-2-25-children-2-00/) [Dave Barry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-barry/) [Browse all 1,079 Chickens quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/chickens/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken fried steak.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Larry McMurtry" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500-miles-across-texas-without/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Chickens" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500-miles-across-texas-without/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/larry-mcmurtry-2540_chickens_only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500_2213752.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/larry-mcmurtry-2540_chickens_only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500_2213752.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/6a3/larry-mcmurtry-2540_chickens_only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500_2213752.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Only a rank degenerate would drive 1,500 miles across Texas without eating a chicken fried steak.” — Larry McMurtry", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Larry McMurtry", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/larry-mcmurtry/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "Only a rank degenerate would drive...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500-miles-across-texas-without/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/larry-mcmurtry/only-a-rank-degenerate-would-drive-1-500-miles-across-texas-without/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```