# m'kay?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005>\
**Category:** About This Message Board\
**Created:** [September 26, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005 "2001-09-26T23:02:33Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 7\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![beyondblender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@beyondblender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beyondblender)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005/1 "2001-09-26T23:02:33Z")

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Is that short for something? …a cartoon reference?..?

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**Author:** ![tavalla](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tavalla/32/89_2.png) [@tavalla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tavalla)\
**Post date:** [September 26, 2001, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005/2 "2001-09-26T23:48:30Z")

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It’s just a patronising kind of way of saying “Okay?”

M’kay?

😉

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**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 12:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005/3 "2001-09-27T00:18:14Z")

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Popularized by the teacher in South Park.

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**Author:** ![arachnidlove](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e0b2c6/32.png) [@arachnidlove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/arachnidlove)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005/4 "2001-09-27T00:21:25Z")

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[quote]  
Popularized by the teacher in South Park.[/quote}

I thought Mr. Mackey was the school counselor. 😃

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**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005/5 "2001-09-27T02:20:16Z")

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It’s a silly speech affectation people normally use to be overly dramatic.

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**Author:** ![Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c67d28/32.png) [@Weird\_AL\_Einstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weird_AL_Einstein)\
**Post date:** [September 27, 2001, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005/6 "2001-09-27T07:31:39Z")

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> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Colibri \*  
> \*\*Popularized by the teacher in South Park. \*\*

Actually, that teacher on _Beavis and Butt-Head_ was using it first.

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**Author:** ![beyondblender](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@beyondblender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beyondblender)\
**Post date:** [October 2, 2001, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mkay/84005/7 "2001-10-02T17:53:08Z")

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So, is that pronounced um.kay or McKay?