What does OK stand for?
OK most likely began as a joke abbreviation for oll korrect, a misspelling of all correct, which appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1839. It is now one of the most widely used words in the world.
In the 1830s, it was fashionable among young writers in Boston to use funny abbreviations of misspelled phrases, such as KY for know yuse, meaning no use. OK appeared in the Boston Morning Post on March 23, 1839, as an abbreviation of oll korrect. Most of these jokes faded, but OK survived.
It became popular in 1840, when supporters of President Martin Van Buren, nicknamed Old Kinderhook after his hometown in New York, formed OK Clubs during his reelection campaign. The term spread quickly and was used in telegraph communications to confirm messages.
A global word
OK is now used in many languages around the world, often spelled okay. Linguist Allan Metcalf wrote a whole book about it, calling it America's greatest word. Other origin theories, such as from Native American or West African languages, have less evidence.
Did You Know?
The phrase ok boomer became a viral internet phrase in 2019, showing how the word continues to evolve.