 |
Where does the expression OK come from and what do the letters stand for? |
Answer
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.
Much more specific information can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Okay.
|
|
|
First answer by ID3508630408. Last edit by ID3508630408. Question popularity: 36 [recommend question]
|
Research your answer: |
Can you answer other questions about idioms and slang?
|
|
Answers.com > Wiki Answers > Categories > Literature and Language > English Language > Literary Devices and Figures of Speech > Idioms and Slang > Where does the expression OK come from and what do the letters stand for?
Our contributors said this page should be displayed for the questions below. (Where do these come from ) |
| If any of these are not a genuine rephrasing of the question, please help out and edit these alternates. |
