Añeñe

(ah-nye-nye)

This word is a folkloric mutation of the conjugated verb Andale!. It shares the same meaning of: That’s right!; Exactly!; Or the more jazzed-up idiom: Correctamondo! The origins of this exotic expression are not well known. What is known is the man who popularized it nationwide: clown Pepe Pepe. In his (in)famous TV appearances (see photo), Pepe Pepe would joyously deliver the Añeñe! to the Mexican youth after his inseparable comrade, clown Lagrimita, naïvely asked an obvious question.

Synonyms: andale! (verb); n-daleeee! (verb); ecole! (Italian for ‘right’); ecole qua! (Italian for ‘that’s right’); simon!; simona la cacariza!; iz barniz!; a huevo!; a Wilson; desde luego; por supuesto; por su pollo; of course my horse!; bueno? (question asked in a guttural voice); cincho; sifilis; (all previous phrases simply mean ‘yes’); and sabeeees! (conjugated verb meaning ‘you know the answer’).

Instead of pronouncing any the above expressions, it is also customary to incline your head 45 degrees to your right, close your right eye and whistle lightly. This intriguingly rich and polite gesture will convey the same meaning as Añeñe! without having to waste any words. It is strongly recommended for those non-native speakers struggling with their pronunciation.

Q: 2+2=4? – A: Añeñe! => Q: Two plus two equal four right? – A: Gosh, that’s correct!
Q: Abuelita, por que tienes esos ojos tan grandes? Y esos dientes tan grandes? Ah cabron! Eres el lobo verdad? – A: Añeñe! => Q: Granny, why do you have such big eyes? And why the long sharp teeth? Holy crap! Are you the big bad wolf? – A: Correctamondo!