De volada

The expression de volada is a handy way to say: without unnecessary delay, as quickly as possible. Here are some examples:

• Empezó a quitarse la ropa de volada. She immediately started ripping off her clothes.
• Vete de volada al aeropuerto ... de volada Move it! Get your ass to the airport now! (movie dialogue)
• Vente para acá pero de volada. Get over here now. Hurry! The use of pero here adds a nice emphatic touch.
• Lánzate de volada por las tortas. Hurry and get the tortas right now. Go now and don't waste any time. We're in a rush.

As you can see, most of these examples also involve the notion of movement, of going somewhere quickly. This makes sense, given that volado is the past participle of volar, fly. We also have: Voy para allá volando. I'll be there in a flash. I'm on my way.

De volado

Servicio de volado — and note the masculine ending — refers to having your furniture delivered through a window via ropes: having it 'flown in'. Not for the faint of heart.

A volado is a coin flip. I once saw teenage boys on the Mexico City subway playing volado, heads or tails. If you guess correctly — heads = águila; tails = sol — you get to punch your opponent in the arm.