Asturian-American Migration Forum

(Esti chiste ye mas vieyu qu'el catarro)

Allá en los años de la posguerra, cuando empezaron a asfaltar las carreteras que hasta entonces estaban empedradas, se cruzan dos carreteros en el puerto de Pajares, uno asturiano el otro andaluz, sorteando baches y charcos y echando cagamentos.
Dice el asturiano al andaluz: "Qué? ¿Alquitranlaránla?"
Contesta el andaluz: "Ole, alquitranlerele!"

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This is a play-on-words, impossible to translate, but I'll try to give you a rough idea, although it might spoil it:

Back in the post-war years, when they started to asphalt the old cobble-stone highways, two carters, one Asturian and one Andalusian, crossed eachother on the Pajares Pass, trying to avoid potholes, going around puddles and cursing all the while.
Says the Asturian to the Andalusian: "So, d'you think they'll tar it?
Answers the Andalusian: "Ole, alquitranlerele"


(larala and lerele are typical flamenco exclamations meaning nothing at all)

Terechu,

I think that the joke is funny, but I'll have to admit that I would not have gotten it at all if you had not pointed out the "lerele" reference. Thanks for the joke and the explanation.

Older than the common cold? The ones I get every year seem forever new.

Bob

Hmm. I'm not sure I get it.

The Asturian says, "Qué? ¿Alquitranlaránla?", which means "Do you think they'll tar it?"

And the Andalucian says, "Ole, alquitranlerele!", which means (I'm guessing wildly) ... something like "Alright! Tar-tar-dy-ho!" ?? (Because he's singing?)

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Umm. No soy seguro que lo entiendo.

Dice el asturiano al andaluz: "Qué? ¿Alquitranlaránla?"
Contesta el andaluz: "Ole, alquitranlerele!" (¿Porque está cantando?)

Qué significa, "Ole, alquitranlerele!"?? "Algo cómo: Bravo! Alquitrán ... ¡La la la la!"

You've got it, Art! The Asturian formed the accusative by placing the pronoun at the end (alquitranarán-la) so that to the Andalusian it sounded like an appeal to start singing flamenco, so he answered accordingly.
"Tar-tar-dy-ho" is just what he would have answered had he been an American carter.
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Eso es, Art! El asturiano formó el acusativo poniendo el pronombre al final (alquitranarán-la), de modo que al andaluz le pareció una llamada para empezar a cantar flamenco y contestó en consecuencia.
"Tar-tar-dy-ho" sería justo lo que hubiera contestado si hubiera sido un carretero americano.