# Origin of the word "OK" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [June 3, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398 "2016-06-03T16:04:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/1 "2016-06-03T16:04:07Z")
I’ve never looked up the word OK before, but decided to today. Interesting… Origin of OK: Old initials of a phonetic spelling, oll korrect (all correct) Yes there is an extensive Wikipedia write-up on this! > **[OK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK)** > > OK (/ˌoʊˈkeɪ/ (listen); spelling variations include okay, O.K., ok and Ok) is an English word (originating in American English) denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference. OK is frequently used as a loanword in other languages. It has been described as the most frequently spoken or written word on the planet. > OK's origins are disputed; however, most modern reference works hold that it originated around Boston as part of a fad for misspelling ... ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/2 "2016-06-03T17:11:36Z")
OK. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/3 "2016-06-03T17:21:08Z")
You know, we DO have an Omniscient around here somewhere that looks up this stuff occasionally. Let’s see if I can find…ah, here we go: [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for) ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/4 "2016-06-03T17:45:50Z")
Ok. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/5 "2016-06-03T18:34:00Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > You know, we DO have an Omniscient around here somewhere that looks up this stuff occasionally. Let’s see if I can find…ah, here we go: > > [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for) Which is the first cite in the Wikipedia article the OP cited. It’s all turtles from here on down. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/6 "2016-06-03T18:34:39Z")
Your next assignment: “the whole nine yards.” ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/7 "2016-06-03T18:46:54Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Your next assignment: “the whole nine yards.” I looked that up in the dictionary. It had a picture of my dick. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/8 "2016-06-03T18:50:29Z")
> [@Me\_Billy](#): > > Yes there is an extensive Wikipedia write-up on this! Heck, there’s a whole [book](http://www.amazon.com/OK-Improbable-Story-Americas-Greatest/dp/0199892539/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464979705&sr=1-3&keywords=ok) about it. ---
**Author:** ![garygnu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/garygnu/32/2924_2.png) [@garygnu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/garygnu)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/9 "2016-06-03T18:58:56Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > Your next assignment: “the whole nine yards.” And after that, “14 k of g in a fpd” ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/10 "2016-06-03T19:16:15Z")
‘OK’ is an abbreviation for ‘okay’, which is a word derived from the phrase ‘okey doky’ which itself was derived from ‘hunky dory’. ‘Hunky dory’ is an antiquated phrase meaning OK. ---
**Author:** ![davey77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90ced4/32.png) [@davey77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davey77)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/11 "2016-06-04T01:01:45Z")
I did a college paper on the word, “OK” in Composition class. Of course, I didn’t solve any etymological questions, but I was intrigued by the fact that “OK” can be used as practically any part of speech. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 9:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/12 "2016-06-04T09:37:09Z")
> [@Johnny\_L.A](#): > > I looked that up in the dictionary. It had a picture of my dick. They couldn’t use a picture of mine, because the phrase isn’t ‘the first nine yards’ ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 1:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/13 "2016-06-04T13:42:05Z")
Tentacles. Why is it always _tentacles!!?_ ---
**Author:** ![Me\_Billy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e480ec/32.png) [@Me\_Billy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Me_Billy)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/14 "2016-06-04T14:14:56Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Heck, there’s a whole [book](http://www.amazon.com/OK-Improbable-Story-Americas-Greatest/dp/0199892539/ref=sr_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1464979705&sr=1-3&keywords=ok) about it. Good grief! ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 2:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/15 "2016-06-04T14:17:38Z")
The problem I have with the “Oll Korrect” explanation is that if any other word claimed to be from that kind of origin it would be hotly contested and argued against. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/16 "2016-06-04T14:26:19Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > The problem I have with the “Oll Korrect” explanation is that if any other word claimed to be from that kind of origin it would be hotly contested and argued against. Per the column: > [@](#): > > Many of the abbreviated expressions were exaggerated misspellings, a stock in trade of the humorists of the day. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/17 "2016-06-04T15:17:56Z")
If you want to know about the origin of O.K., a useful place to start is the Straight Dope column by Cecil Adams: [http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/503/what-does-ok-stand-for) Then you should read the Wikipedia article: > **[OK](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK)** > > OK (/ˌoʊˈkeɪ/ (listen); spelling variations include okay, O.K., ok and Ok) is an English word (originating in American English) denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference. OK is frequently used as a loanword in other languages. It has been described as the most frequently spoken or written word on the planet. > OK's origins are disputed; however, most modern reference works hold that it originated around Boston as part of a fad for misspelling ... Then read the articles from _American Speech_ by Allen Walker Reade: [http://www.jstor.org/stable/453580?seq=1#page\_scan\_tab\_contents](http://www.jstor.org/stable/453580?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents) [http://www.jstor.org/stable/453285?seq=1#page\_scan\_tab\_contents](http://www.jstor.org/stable/453285?seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents) Yeah, that means that you’ll either have to find a library with that journal or pay for a download. Sorry, but often a definitive answer to a question requires reading a long article or book. That’s just how it works. ---
**Author:** ![splatterpunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3be4f8/32.png) [@splatterpunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/splatterpunk)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/18 "2016-06-04T15:20:02Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > The problem I have with the “Oll Korrect” explanation is that if any other word claimed to be from that kind of origin it would be hotly contested and argued against. The difference, of course, is that it is well documented by Professor Read and others. There is no such documentation for say, \* Stack High In Transit\*, or _For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge._ ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/19 "2016-06-04T15:29:32Z")
Yup, **GuanoLad** , and it’s hotly contested and argued against for OK, too. But all of those contestings and arguments have come to naught. It’s like science that way. ---
**Author:** ![Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/half_man_half_wit/32/21766_2.png) [@Half\_Man\_Half\_Wit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Half_Man_Half_Wit)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2016, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398/20 "2016-06-04T17:24:27Z")
> [@Sunspace](#): > > Tentacles. Why is it always _tentacles!!?_ That’s because google search is keyed to your browser history. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/origin-of-the-word-ok/756398.md?page=2)