What does O.K. stand for?

Answer 1

"oll korrect" (a conscious misspelling of all correct)

Answer 2

Today it's used as a shortened version of "okay" which is a term used for approval, assent, or acknowledgment. ("Let's go home." - "O.K.")

It started out as an abbreviation for "oll correct" ("all correct" consciously misspelled) in Boston newspapers in 1839.

There are also a couple of folk etymologies (not supported by historical written records, though) that are pretty interesting if not hilarious:

It has been suggested that in World War II the term "zero killed" was used when a unit suffered no casualties in combat, and that this was then shortened to 0K.

The term OK is also used by typesetters and people working in publishing. Supposedly, a manuscript that did not need any changes or corrections would be marked O.K. for Ohne Korrektur (German for 'without correction'). Other stories are that it comes from the British English word hoacky (the last load of the harvest), the Finnish word oikein ('that's right' or 'correct'), or the Scottish expression och aye (oh yes).

Another story is that the expression came from a quality control system in some company, in which some inspector with the initials O.K. provided final approval. [...] Otto Kaiser or Otto Kruger or Oskar Krause would inspect each car coming off the assembly line at a plant in Michigan and chalk his initials on the front windshield if it was "OK".

In Greek, O.K. is a correctly-spelled abbreviation for the expression, Ola Kala (Ὅλα Καλά, ΟΚ), which has the same meaning as the American English "okay". It is possible that Greek sailors used Ola Kala in American ports. It is also said that "O.K." was written on the ships or other places to show that the ships are ready.

French fishermen, including those based in New Orleans, might sometimes have used the phrase "au quai", literally "to the quay", to mean that a fishing trip was successful (or went okay) and therefore there were fish to unload at the quay.

Hope that helped. :o)

Answer 3

The historical record shows that O.K. appeared as an abbreviation for "oll korrect" (a conscious misspelling of "all correct") in Boston newspapers in 1839, and was reinterpreted as "Old Kinderhook" in the 1840 United States presidential election. Because it is a recent word born of word play, and because it is so widely used, O.K. has also invited many folk etymologies. These competing theories are not supported by the historical written record, except in that folk and joke etymologies influenced the true history of the word. Since the 19th century, the word has 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.

Answer 4

There are two answers-- The first one is what Wes said-- "oll korrect", apparently, there was a craze in the '20's and '30's that involved deliberately mispelling words. The other is for "Old Kinderhook"...I forgot which president it was the nickname for, (I think it was Harding?) but his supporters would chant "O.K.!" at his rallies... and it came to mean something was acceptable... or "O.K."

Answer 5

The letters, not to keep you guessing, stand for "oll korrect." They're the result of a fad for comical abbreviations that flourished in the late 1830s and 1840s.

Answer 6

One of our earlier presidents, I think maybe Eisenhower, had a home in Old Kinderhook. When he had to sign papers from that location, he would put the abbreviation O.K. after his signature to remind him. Really!

Answer 7

I read once that a former US president used to write it for All Correct i.e Oll Korrect (O.K) thinking it's the correct spelling!!!

I can't remember the other stories!

Answer 8

Abbreviation of oll korrect, slang respelling of all correct...hence the abbreviation O.K.!!

Answer 9

Martin Van Buren was from Kinderhook, NY.

They called him Old Kinderhook, or OK.

This concludes this history lesson. Number 243 in a set of 1704.

Answer 10

It is an old British Radio Code... like 10-4

It corresponds with "affirmative"

Answer 11

It stands for the initials of a US politician from the 19th century. His initials were used in his campaign slogans, and soon were adopted across the US and around the world as meaning "good, just fine" in all languages.