What's the meaning of "O.K."?

Question

I'd like to know what this two letters means

Answer 1

What is known is that one of the first instances of OK appearing in print was in the spring of 1839 by the Boston Morning Post:

It is hardly necessary to say to those who know Mr. Hughes, that his establishment will be found to be 'A. No. One' -- that is, O.K. -- all correct.

So if OK stands for "all correct," wouldn't it be "AC"? Not exactly, the word was intentionally misspelled. Much like the way people on the Internet shorten or abbreviate words when typing, OK was misspelled on purpose.

For instance, a lot of kids on line spell "cool," "k-e-w-l," kids know how to spell cool, but it just looks cooler to spell it "k-e-w-l."

It was cool in certain East Coast cities in the mid-19th century to substitute OK for "all correct."

Other abbreviations faded into obscurity, but the word OK stuck around. One of the reasons it weathered time is because it got a boost from then-president Martin Van Buren.

To find out more visit www.netlingo.com

Answer 2

I've read the responses so far with interest however, the one that I think is the most plausible for our modern world stems from, so I've learnt, the first world war years. Communication in those days wasn't what it is now but newspaper reporters still needed news from the front for their readers. In order not to give anything away to a listening enemy the military put out casualty lists for the media to report on. These gradually became very protracted so that a chalk board went up outside HQ with the cryptic message: "20 M", "456 W" and "34 K". Translated it read: 20 missing, 456 wounded and 34 killed. When the board read "0 K" then everyone was reasonably happy. In reality therefore there aren't two letters - one is a number and the other is a letter.

Answer 3

OK = okay, okey, all right, fine.

About the history of O.K.: Allen Walker Read did definitively
establish the source of O.K. as Old Kinderhook, from the campaign of Martin Van Buren; but then his arch-enemy, a dictionary editor, came up with an attestation that pre-dated the campaign. Read then definitively established the source as "oll korrect", with an attestation a few months earlier in the same year as the arch-enemy's -- March, 1839. Read discusses the debate with some passion in a New Yorker profile of Sept. 4, 1989. He also discusses the matter briefly in his LACUS presidential address, LACUS 14:5-17 (1988). He strongly disapproves of other suggestions, including those from African language(s) and/or Native American language(s). But if -- as he claims -- his 1839 attestation of O.K. is the earliest, his oll korrect etymology would be hard to impeach. (Both the odd spelling of the phrase and the abbreviation to O.K., not to mention the meaning, are accounted for convincingly in the context of the times -- apparently newspapers were full of such cute-isms. The same can't be said of the Old Kinderhook etymology.)

Answer 4

As you know, among the huge number of things Americans can't do, spelling is very high on the list (as any regular viewer of this site will be well aware).
I have it on good authority that OK stands for "Orl Korekt".
(For all you people who speak and write ENGLISH, that translates to "All Correct")

Answer 5

There was many years ago a politician standing for office of the mayor of New York known to many as old Konders, his slogan was OK, OK.

Answer 6

I believe it is orginally derived from "All Clear" and thru much use and slangifying it became shortened to O.K.

Answer 7

Not sure.. but the number one word used universally all over the world that is pronounced the same.. and understood the most.


( dont' quote me 100% but I did hear that on t.v.,, but not sure their exact words)

Answer 8

How can "O" stand for the vowel produced by saying "All?" The rest I understand though.

Answer 9

No problem or alright

Answer 10

Oh , kool !