What does "oh-da-lay" mean?

Question

It seems to be a spanish slang word used by latino comedians

Answer 1

Hi and welcome to the forum.

"Órale" is a Mexican/Chicano word that not only means "Hell, yeah" or "Right on", but has lots and lots of meanings. Also used to: indicate surprise.

Right on, Marian.:) - Deanski, Apr 3, 2011

Answer 2

Oh de lay ee hooo

Sorry - I just had to vote for this. It's wrong, of course, but so amusingly wrong!! :-D - Gekkosan, Apr 3, 2011

Answer 3

I am not a fluent Spanish speaker, but grew up in a Mexican/Chicano neighborhood. I have heard this slang word a lot. It really is mostly used as an expression of surprise. It is similar to "OMG" in txt. Or if you are familiar with the "F'ing Ay" saying, you know that it can be used in many circumstances, good or bad. For example, "órale, you just won a huge jackpot!", or "órale, sorry your dog got run over ese!" Although it is considered slang, it is used frequently in common conversation, and is the kind of thing you probably won't learn in Spanish class. It is probably more commonly used in the Southern California area than in in other dialects of Spanish. I hope this helps, and I hope to learn more from all of you as well. Oh, on a side note, I have seen this used in the name of a hot sauce before. That's where I learned the proper spelling. I have also heard George Lopez use it on his show. Peace

Welcome to SpanishDict. I don't know if you realized it or not, but this thread is from 2011. No problem, but I don't think they are still looking for an answer. - rac1, Nov 22, 2016

Answer 4

I must be a bit stupid. I would have never guessed what the word was, even though I know that the American R sound is almost identical to the Spanish D.

Answer 5

Because of the misspelling, we can´t be completely sure. You could also be hearing Ándale, which means basically the same as Órale when used as slang.

Answer 6

órale

Answer 7

Thanks all. My question is answered. Ed S.