what is the origin of O.K.?

Answer 1

Origin: initials of a facetious folk phonetic spelling, e.g., oll or orl korrect representing all correct, first attested in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1839, then used in 1840 by Democrat partisans of Martin Van Buren during his election campaign, who allegedly named their organization, the O.K. Club, in allusion to the initials of Old Kinderhook, Van Buren's nickname, derived from his birthplace Kinderhook, New York

Answer 2

OK is a quintessentially American term that has spread from English to many other languages. Its origin was the subject of scholarly debate for many years until Allen Walker Read showed that OK is based on a joke of sorts. OK is first recorded in 1839 but was probably in circulation before that date. During the 1830s there was a humoristic fashion in Boston newspapers to reduce a phrase to initials and supply an explanation in parentheses. Sometimes the abbreviations were misspelled to add to the humor. OK was used in March 1839 as an abbreviation for all correct, the joke being that neither the O nor the K was correct. Originally spelled with periods, this term outlived most similar abbreviations owing to its use in President Martin Van Buren's 1840 campaign for reelection. Because he was born in Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was nicknamed Old Kinderhook, and the abbreviation proved eminently suitable for political slogans. That same year, an editorial referring to the receipt of a pin with the slogan O.K. had this comment: “frightful letters … significant of the birth-place of Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as also the rallying word of the Democracy of the late election, ‘all correct’ .... Those who wear them should bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous exertions … to make all things O.K.”

Answer 3

Okay is a term of approval or assent, often written as OK, O.K., ok, okay, okee, or more informally as simply kay, k or kk. When used to describe the quality of a thing, it denotes acceptability. However, its usage can also be strongly approving; as with most slang, its usage is determined by context.

The word "okay" is currently the single-most-used word on Earth, owing to its common employment in a vast number of cultures and languages.


There are several theories about the origins of this word, some of them apocryphal and none of them conclusive, although the suggested origin as an initialism of oll korrect (a misspelling of "all correct") has relatively widespread support. Whatever its origin, the word spread around the world, the "okay" spelling of it first appearing in British writing in the 1860s. Spelled out in full in the 20th century, 'okay' has come to be in everyday use among English speakers, and borrowed by non-English speakers. Occasionally a humorous form okee dokee (or okey dokey) is used, as well as A-ok.

Answer 4

Didn't someone already answer this a few weeks ago?

Back in WWI the base commander would write on a black board the number of troops killed. Ex. 10K (for ten killed); or 15K (15 killed). When he wrote 0K (for zero killed), that was an OK day, or a very good day.

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Answer 5

Old Kinderhook

Answer 6

it comes from the civil war. at the end of the night, they would announce how many people were K-illed. the nights when there were none killed, they would announce i as o.k.
and it has been kept since then.

Answer 7

OKAY is origin
they write it O.K
it sounds the same

doesn't it

Answer 8

Abbreviation for Okay...

Answer 9

something to do with oll korrect but I'm not so sure abt the spelling

Answer 10

short for okay.....OK sounds the same as okay so people wrote it without the a and the y.