The Origin Of The Word ‘OK’

Nowadays, Internet jargon such as “LOL” and “YOLO” have found their way into everyday conversation. Prior to the web-age, such acronyms would have been deemed a joke.

Such is the case with the word OK.

In 1839, editors at the “Boston Morning Post” first used OK in place of “Oll Korrect” while making up different abbreviations they found comical.

It was then printed in a satirical piece about grammar featured in the “Post.”

A year later, the word was popularized by Martin Van Buren’s re-election campaign because of his slogan, “OK is OK.” The president’s nickname was Old Kinderhook, stemming from his hometown in New York.

Eventually OK was used in telegraphs and on documents showing they were approved.

At the time, it wasn’t widely accepted by authors. Mark Twain never used it, and Louisa May Alcott wrote it in a first edition of “Little Women,” before changing the word in later printings.

It wasn’t until Woodrow Wilson, the only president with a Ph.D., accepted it into America’s lexicon.

The word’s longevity is owed to it exemplifying America’s “can-do” attitude and how it can be used in a multitude of situations to show tolerance and acceptance.

source: Geobeats