andale arriba

[rocket girl]

When I was a kid, Speedy Gonzales, a cartoon character, always said, "Andale, andale! Arriba, arriba!" which seemed to mean "Hurry up!"
But the words together don't mean that, and aren't used in Spanish to mean "faster." Was this a bad translation, or do Spanish-speaking people really say this?

[mandarina_82]

mexicans use to say "andale" like "move on", "do it" or just when they relized about soemthing like "that's it"

i think "andale, arriba, arriba" just is something made up for the character.

[fenixpollo]

Hi, rocket girl, and welcome to the forum.

Click on these previous threads (thread, thread, thread, thread) about ándale for detailed explanations of the term.

As for Speedy (link), he was developed in 1953, when the standard cultural stereotype of Mexicans was still the revolution-era (1910's) peasant. In wartime, the gringos might have heard Mexican revolutionaries shout "¡Viva México!" (Long live Mexico!) or "¡Arriba México!" (Up with Mexico!). Disclaimer: this is my own, personal theory.

The "epa!" part of his cry is probably something like "watch it!"

Hope that helps.

[NorteAM]

Also in 1953 Superman was a very popular comic hero. As Superman lept into the sky he called out, "Up...Up...and Away"! American creators of Speedy probably felt they were literally interpreting a similar exclamation for Speedy. Up....Up....and Let's Go! Arriba....Arriba....Andale!

[Rozza]

Wasn't it the other way round (arriba arriba, andale andale) ??

Couldnt that mean: 'get up get up, lets go lets go!'?

That would sort of make sense.

Im still pretty incompetent with my spanish so is probably totally wrong.

[raramuristar]

Originally Posted by Rozza

Wasn't it the other way round (arriba arriba, andale andale) ??

Couldnt that mean: 'get up get up, lets go lets go!'?

That would sort of make sense.

Im still pretty incompetent with my spanish so is probably totally wrong.

You are a hundred percent right!

raramuristar-México

[zumac]

I live in Mexico, and you still hear the word "ándale" which has several meanings including "hurry up", "com'on", "please", etc.

The word "arriba", as an expression, and not "upstairs", is generally used in Mexico as a cheer to some leader, like "arriba Juarez", or also as a cheer at a wedding for the bride and groom, "arriba los novios." In Spain, they use, or at least once used, "arriba" as a cheer to inspire singers or dancers.

The combination of "ándale" and "arriba" or viceversa, makes no sense at all here in Mexico. But it sounds good to an American audience.

Saludos.

[californiaborder]

It's funny that someone else remembers that phrase. Sometimes I find myself saying that "¡¡andale andale, arriba arriba!!" and today my husband and I were arguing about what arriba means. He thought it meant up. I always thought andale meant "hurry up" or "get going" basically. So I think it was a bad translation, but who knows, cartoons are so silly! My idea is that he was saying "hurry up hurry up, to the top to the top!!".