The Choctaw theory

In the American Choctaw Indian language, there is a word okeh, which means “it is so”. It is likely (although I can find no hard evidence) that this word was used in some American communities in the early 19th century. There is a report that Andrew Jackson, during the Battle of New Orleans in 1815, learned of this Choctaw word, liked it, and used it.

Woodrow Wilson also preferred this etymology, and used okeh when he approved official papers. His use led to this particular form being picked up by Okeh Records, “the name of a series of popular phonograph records” [Mencken, 1936] as well as hot-dog stands, shoe-shining parlours and more.

The Andrew Jackson Libel theory

Some time around 1832, Seba Smith was accused of libel in claiming that Andrew Jackson endorsed a pronouncement written by his literary secretary, Amos Kendell, with OK Amos. The details are not very clear, but it is possible that what was really written was OR, meaning “Order Recorded”. However, one newspaper reporting on the matter, presumably some years later, said that the letters OK had been adopted “as a sort of [Democratic] part cry and [were] fastened upon their banners”. This does give at least some credence to the idea that OK was at least in familiar use prior to 1840.

The Wolof theory

Like Choctaw Indian, the Wolof language (spoken in Senegal and The Gambia, formerly The Gold Coast) has something like okeh to mean an emphatic “yes” (it’s more like waa-key in reality). Wolof has given American English a number of words, perhaps through the African slave trade, such as juke, honky (to mean a white man), hipcat (or hepcat, meaning a jazz enthusiast), jive and even dig (as in “to understand”), although it should be noted that there is nowhere near universal agreement on these! It is likely that okeh appeared in early black American spoken slang.

The Other Languages theories

Yet more languages have similar-sounding words for “yes” or “it is so”. Liberian has oke, and Burmese has hoakeh, for instance. Yet again, it is possible that these examples crept into American use in small isolated areas at some time prior to 1839.

The Indian Chief theory

Keokuk was an Indian chief (after whom Keokuk, in Iowa, is named). His admirers sometimes referred to him as “Old Keokuk, he’s all right”, and the initials OK, came to mean the same thing.

The orl korrect theory

The Internet fashion for condensing phrases into abbreviation certainly not new! The 1830s saw a rise of quirky abbreviations for common phrases, which for some reason seems to have been particularly popular in Boston. ISBD was used to mean “it shall be done”, RTBS for “it remains to be seen” and SP for “small potatoes”.

It went further, with KY used to mean “no use” (know yuse) and an article in the March 23rd, 1839, edition of the Boston Morning Post, saw this produce OK, short for “all correct” (orl korrect). This is the earliest published appearance of OK that has so far been found.

The Richardson theory

William Richardson recorded his journey from Boston to New Orleans in his 1815 diary. Transcriptions of the diary show “Arrived at Princeton, a handsome little village, o.k. and at Trenton where we dined at 1p.m.” – although in some have proposed that this showed the use of the expression in 1815, the original manuscript shows that this was actually part of some alterations that may have been added by Richardson (or someone else), possibly even after 1840 when the term had come into common use. Another possibility is that the writing is of a.h., referring to “a handsome”, but there are many objections to this theory.

The 16th century theories

Several claims have been made to have found appearances of OK have in 16th century manuscripts. In one instance Notes & Queries (1911) points out that the will of Thomas Cumberland in 1565 is shown to use OK. But more careful scrutiny shows that this is more likely to have been the initials of the scrivener.

Books published in 1593 and 1596 also have OK included, but apparently as nouns. The text of one (Have with You to Saffron-Walden, by Thomas Nashe, the British author) goes “Martin is Guerra, Brown a brone-bill, & Barrow a wheelbarrow; Ket a knight, H.N. [referring to Henry Nichols] an O.K.” As Mencken states in his supplement to The American Language, “the meaning here is unfathomable”.

The Old Kinderhook theory

Martin van Buren was standing as the Democratic presidential candidate in 1840. He had acquired the nickname of Old Kinderhook (he was born in Kinderhook, New York). On March 24, 1840 the Democrats opened the OK Club in Grand Street, New York City, based on the initials of van Buren’s nickname.

The expression OK soon became the watchword of this club, and in that same year, a Democratic newspaper equated the initials with the strivings of the party to “make all things OK”.

The Cockney Orl Korrec theory

The Times, in 1939, had an article reporting that it was of Cockney origin. The author remembered its use as an abbreviation for Orl korrec when he was a boy in the late 19th century. However, this post-dates its first appearance by many years.

The French theory

During the American War of Independence, French sailors made “appointments” with American girls aux quais (meaning when they were berthed at the quayside). This theory was put forward by Britain’s Daily Express newspaper in 1940.

The Finish theory

The Fins have a word for correct, and it is oikea. In a 1940 article, someone at the Cleveland Public Library suggested that this may be the origin.

The British Parliament theory

The same source as the Cockney theory (The Times, in 1939) pointed out that some bills going through the House of Lords had to be read and approved by Lords Onslow and Kilbracken, and they each initialed them – producing the combined initials OK.

The Anglo-Saxon theory

Several centuries before its first appearance, Norwegian and Danish sailors used an Anglo-Saxon word, hogfor, which meant ready for sea. This was frequently shortened to HG, which in turn would have been pronounced hag-gay.

The Literary theory

Laurence Sterne was a British author of the 18th century, and in his book A Sentimental Journey, published in 1768, he uses the emphatic French form of yes: O qu-oui. In an anglicised pronunciation (oh-key), the phrase was used by some to express affirmation.

The Schoolmaster theory

In a letter in the Vancouver Sun, in 1935, it was pointed out that early schoolmasters would mark examination papers by adding the Latin Omnis Korrecta, which was sometimes abbreviated to OK.

The Ship-Builder theory

Early ship-builders would mark the timber they prepared, and the first to be laid was marked “OK Number 1”, meaning “outer keel No. 1”.

The Telegraph theory

Early telegraph operators abbreviated everything, to reduce the amount of work needed. They would use GM for “Good Morning”, GA for “Go Ahead” and so on. In 1935, Tatler, in the Observer, suggests that they also used OK. This doesn’t stand up at all, as the telegraph post-dated the first written occurrence and it is almost certain, in my view, that they adopted OK rather than inventing it.

The Scottish theory

We’ve all heard the Scottish expression, och-aye. An author in the Nottingham Journal in 1943 suggests that OK is simply an adaptation of this expression. The Scottish expression derives from och, meaning an exclamation of surprise and aye meaning yes, and has been in existence since perhaps the 16th century.

The Old English theory

In early England, the last harvest loads brought in from the fields were known as hoacky or horkey. It was also the name given to harvest-home, which was the feast which followed the last loads brought in. The satisfactory completion of harvest was therefore known as hoacky, which was soon (at least according to an article in the Daily Telegraph in 1935) shortened to OK.

The Prussian theory

The Times printed a suggestion that the Prussian general, Schliessen (fighting for the American colonies during the War of Independence) was properly given the title Oberst Kommandant. All his orders were initialled OK.

The Greek theory

Probably the earliest suggestion comes from the Greek. The two Greek letters omega and khi appear in a work called Geoponica in 920AD as being a magical incantation (when repeated twice) against fleas!

The Railway theory

Obediah Kelly was an early railway freighter. He is known to have signed bills of lading with his initials, OK, and in railway circles OK came to mean that something had been authorised.

The War-Department (or cracker) theory

During the Civil War, the US War Department bought supplies of crackers from a company called Orrins-Kendall. Their initials appeared on the boxes, and as the crackers were of a particularly high standard, the letters OK became synonymous with “all right”. This theory was originally put forward in a publication called Linguist, from the Horace Mann School for Boys in New York, although it has subsequently appeared in a number of other publications.

The multitudinous other theories

During 1840, American politicians used the term frequently, and dreamt up many absurd (and often pointed) origins. Out of Kash, out of kredit, out of klothes, all became identified with van Buren’s campaign. And on the floor of the House of Representatives, a congressman from Illinois suggested it meant Orful Kalamity.

these are only some…there are a LOT of them

Hope this helps,

Nick

Word History: OK is a quintessentially American term that has spread from English to many other languages. Its origin was the subject of scholarly debate for many years until Allen Walker Read showed that OK is based on a joke of sorts. OK is first recorded in 1839 but was probably in circulation before that date. During the 1830s there was a humoristic fashion in Boston newspapers to reduce a phrase to initials and supply an explanation in parentheses. Sometimes the abbreviations were misspelled to add to the humor. OK was used in March 1839 as an abbreviation for all correct, the joke being that neither the O nor the K was correct. Originally spelled with periods, this term outlived most similar abbreviations owing to its use in President Martin Van Buren’s 1840 campaign for reelection. Because he was born in Kinderhook, New York, Van Buren was nicknamed Old Kinderhook, and the abbreviation proved eminently suitable for political slogans. That same year, an editorial referring to the receipt of a pin with the slogan O.K. had this comment: “frightful letters … significant of the birth-place of Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as also the rallying word of the Democracy of the late election, ‘all correct’ …. Those who wear them should bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous exertions … to make all things O.K.”