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Re: a few questions

From:John Cowan <cowan@...>
Date:Saturday, April 21, 2001, 16:46
David Peterson scripsit:

> In a message dated 4/20/01 10:34:25 PM, zsau@YAHOO.COM.AU writes: > > << 2. Does anyone know (or know where I can find) the origins of the word > 'okay'? >> > > "Okay" was originally "O.K.", of course, and it stood for "Old > Kinderhook", which, I believe, was the nickname of Martin Van Buren (if it > wasn't, it was another president; I know it was a Gilded Age U.S. president). > They called him "O.K." Somehow from there, it turned it to meaning "good", > or signifying approval. This was in my history book back in high school. :)
The use of the slogan "The People Is O.K." was important in spreading "O.K.", but we find it in print before the Van Buren campaign, as part of a fad for false initials, in this case for "Oll Korrect" = "all correct". "K.G." was also used for "Know Good" = "no good", but did not catch on. -- John Cowan cowan@ccil.org One art/there is/no less/no more/All things/to do/with sparks/galore --Douglas Hofstadter