# O.K., OK, Ok, ok, okay? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 18, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071 "2012-09-18T14:55:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/1 "2012-09-18T14:55:14Z")
Which one is proper usage? Which one do you use? ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/2 "2012-09-18T14:56:16Z")
I usually go for O.K. or okay. ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/3 "2012-09-18T15:00:51Z")
Okie Dokie! Or OK. Sometimes I will write out okay. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/4 "2012-09-18T15:06:56Z")
In the 20s some people spelled it [okeh](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ey2oYD5GGgs/TAK4hdTlCDI/AAAAAAAAAQk/8sUW9a0YGd0/s1600/bixrVirginiaOKeh.jpg). ---
**Author:** ![Silver\_Tyger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/fbc32d/32.png) [@Silver\_Tyger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Silver_Tyger)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/5 "2012-09-18T15:08:35Z")
Depending on what feeling I want to convey, OK or okay. I realize they’re said the same but OK seems like it’s said shorter. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/6 "2012-09-18T15:16:58Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > Which one is proper usage? Which one do you use? \*“OK” and “okay” are proper. I use “OK” normally, but I would use “okay” as a verb. \*Merriam-Webster ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/7 "2012-09-18T15:24:40Z")
Usually “ok” is what I use. Until I wondered if it was really a word I used to use “okay.” “O.K.” looks like yelling in the evenly sized text of the computer screen. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/8 "2012-09-18T15:32:35Z")
OK. But I only use it informally. I would never use it in a document or an official email, but perhaps in response to someone. “OK. I’ll see you at 1:00” and the like. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 3:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/9 "2012-09-18T15:58:02Z")
I never type the periods, it’s always “Ok” or “Okay” or “Okey.” How about simply “k”? ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/10 "2012-09-18T16:06:14Z")
M’kay. ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/11 "2012-09-18T16:21:44Z")
And, of course, umkay is OK. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/12 "2012-09-18T16:23:30Z")
Fuck yeah! But when that’s not appropriate, I go with “okay.” ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/13 "2012-09-18T16:24:44Z")
A’ight. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/14 "2012-09-18T16:26:18Z")
> [@Beware\_of\_Doug](#): > > In the 20s some people spelled it [okeh](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_ey2oYD5GGgs/TAK4hdTlCDI/AAAAAAAAAQk/8sUW9a0YGd0/s1600/bixrVirginiaOKeh.jpg). Nope, the label Okeh was taken from the initials of the man who started it. ---
**Author:** ![74westy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/74westy/32/3950_2.png) [@74westy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/74westy)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/15 "2012-09-18T16:27:43Z")
10-4 ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/16 "2012-09-18T16:30:16Z")
Okily-dokily ---
**Author:** ![Lukeinva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lukeinva/32/17872_2.png) [@Lukeinva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lukeinva)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/17 "2012-09-18T16:35:31Z")
What the heck does O.K. stand for? If anything. ---
**Author:** ![Gagundathar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a183cd/32.png) [@Gagundathar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gagundathar)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/18 "2012-09-18T16:38:22Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What the heck does O.K. stand for? If anything. We don’t really know. There are a few competing ideas. Some say it was from ‘Orl Korrect’, as in ‘All Correct’ as written by Andrew Jackson, one of the early US presidents. Some say it came from the O. K. Club. Ah… here we go: [What does “OK” stand for? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for) ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/19 "2012-09-18T16:38:33Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What the heck does O.K. stand for? If anything. [The Master speaks](Dear Ms. Stinson,). ---
**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2012, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071/20 "2012-09-18T16:38:48Z")
> [@Lukeinva](#): > > What the heck does O.K. stand for? If anything. > **[List of proposed etymologies of OK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_proposed_etymologies_of_OK)** > > Several etymologies have been proposed for the word OK or okay. The majority can be easily classified as false etymologies, or possibly folk etymologies. H. L. Mencken, in The American Language, lists serious candidates and "a few of the more picturesque or preposterous". Allen Walker Read surveyed a variety of explanations in a 1964 article titled "The Folklore of 'O. K.'" Eric Partridge described O.K. as "an evergreen of the correspondence column." [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/o-k-ok-ok-ok-okay/635071.md?page=2)