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You might be a Californian if...........?

#164
A Mexican friend of mine once told me that "orale" originated as some iteration of "walk with God" that one would say to the other as they were trying to get across the border...you know, like a "good luck" almost. I've never heard anything like that before or since, and it doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Has anyone else heard of this?
 
#167
macaroni tony said:
A Mexican friend of mine once told me that "orale" originated as some iteration of "walk with God" that one would say to the other as they were trying to get across the border...you know, like a "good luck" almost. I've never heard anything like that before or since, and it doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Has anyone else heard of this?
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No. All of that is a mangeled mess of misunderstanding. The Spanish word for "prayer" is "oracion." If you know some Spanish, but not much, you could incorrectly infer that 'orale' means "pray to him", though that's not how it's actually said. Orale is an old term in Mexico. It's roots would have nothing to do with crossing the border.
 
#169
matante said:
No. All of that is a mangeled mess of misunderstanding. The Spanish word for "prayer" is "oracion." If you know some Spanish, but not much, you could incorrectly infer that 'orale' means "pray to him", though that's not how it's actually said. Orale is an old term in Mexico. It's roots would have nothing to do with crossing the border.
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The Mexican guy that told me that knew a ton of Spanish :p
 
#170
matante said:
You don't know what you're talking about. If you think "le" is an identifier meaning "you" in this instance, then you don't even speak Spanish. Why argue with those who do? ('le' as a you identifier is used in single words: cambiale, tocale, hechale, etc...)
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You meant "echale" :-p, but you are right.
If anything what is missing is an "a(h)" as it must come from "ahora-le"...
Orale, literally, can have another meaning: "pray to him", since orar = to pray. But I am pretty sure that's not the way it's used in Mexico :-D
 
#172
macaroni tony said:
A Mexican friend of mine once told me that "orale" originated as some iteration of "walk with God" that one would say to the other as they were trying to get across the border...you know, like a "good luck" almost. I've never heard anything like that before or since, and it doesn't seem to make any sense to me. Has anyone else heard of this?
Click to expand...

Hmmm, that would actually make sense with the "pray to him" meaning... But it seems like a made up story to me :-D
 
#173
matante said:
No. All of that is a mangeled mess of misunderstanding. The Spanish word for "prayer" is "oracion." If you know some Spanish, but not much, you could incorrectly infer that 'orale' means "pray to him", though that's not how it's actually said. Orale is an old term in Mexico. It's roots would have nothing to do with crossing the border.
Click to expand...

What he said... I guess I arrived late at the party! :-)
 
#174
mcnach said:
You meant "echale" :-p, but you are right.
If anything what is missing is an "a(h)" as it must come from "ahora-le"...
Orale, literally, can have another meaning: "pray to him", since orar = to pray. But I am pretty sure that's not the way it's used in Mexico :-D
Click to expand...

I wouldn't assume it must come from "ahora le". It's the most Mexican of Mexicanisms and it could come from Nahuatl for all we know. It's slang and like many Mexican terms, it's provenance is a mystery.
 

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