Carol M. Marsh wrote: And, that "gravy" Texans pour over biscuits is just plain old white sauce. Yuk!

White Sauce v. Cream Gravy
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I dunno about Texans, but the "Biscuits and Gravy" that we served at the Lakeside when I worked there was "white sauce" made with sausage drippings and chopped bits, aka "Cream Gravy"--the same thing made in the chicken pan at home is the cream gravy that is a normal accompaniment to fried chicken, but served over potatoes or rice.

"White Sauce" is the term for thickened (with corn starch or flour) and fat of some sort (usually butter or oil when it's called "white sauce") milk.

"Gravy" is the same, but with meat drippings for the fat, browned further if they weren't browned enough in the original process, and water for the liquid.

"Cream Gravy" if the liquid is milk. The flour or cornstarch itself may also be browned in the fat before the addition of the liquid. It's all the same thing, along a spectrum of cooking techniques and basic ingredients.

(SEE ALSO: Roux of the day)

To the best of my knowledge, "White Sauce" always has milk, not water, and "Gravy" might have either, but the "White Sauce" is usually a base for some other added ingredient(s), flavorings or herbs at the very least, and can become cheese sauce, curried meat to be served over rice, part of the binder s for croquettes, a base with eggs for a souffle, or a skillion other things.