Text: “¡Arriba, abajo, al centro, pa’ dentro!“

Context: “Arriba abajo al centro pa dentro” translates to “up, down, to the center, and in.” My mom is Argentine, and when I was a young teen, we went to visit my grandparents in Argentina, and they said this as a way to “cheers” when we were celebrating our reunion. Now, I use it in a very casual way, but it has a big significance in my life. I taught all my friends this saying, and we use it every time we are toasting and raising a glass.”

Analysis: As a non-Spanish speaker, I had never heard of this saying until I came to USC and my friend taught it to me. Now, we all use this saying whenever we are toasting to or celebrating an event or activity. It has become a social norm and mini-ritual for us. This saying is an example of a performative speech, as the saying creates an action. It is more than just words, it is a performance. This ritualizes the event of drinking and toasting into a genuine social experience. It is an event that requires participation, as it cannot be performed alone, you need a group of people, or an audience to interact with it. As a result of this, it is creating a group and social identity. It works as a way to unify a group of people. It also shows how items such as food and drink can symbolize celebration, and people use folklore to symbolize this.