OK

Ever wondered where things like the word O.K. came from? Apparently a guy named Rudolph Brasch did, and he wrote about it in a book called How Did It Begin? I just found it on our bookshelf and it’s got that great old paperback smell so I imagine it’s been around for a while. I’d like to ask this Rudolph character how the book itself began, because it’s full of the

British monthly magazine OK! was launched here in 2004 to feed the insatiable hunger for celebrity

strangest trivia. He looks at peculiarities like candles on birthday cakes, the aversion to red hair, X for a kiss, the Adam’s apple, expressions like “raining cats and dogs” or “break a leg.” Some to be saved for a future blog entry perhaps.

I flicked straight to “how did ‘O.K.’ begin?” because I have from time to time wondered exactly that, and have been offered some pretty varied attempted explanations from people, most of which explained nothing, and left the malcontent of my curiosity unaltered.

Is it an arbitrary word or an abbreviation or an acronym? Why is it the most globally used expression? Of all the possible explanations of its origin, it seems, we will never know which one is truly O.K. (or is it 'okay'?). According to Bresch: “This shortest and internationally adopted expression supplies one of the longest lists of possible explanations. Illiteracy, political slander, a clever election campaign, bureaucratic efficiency, a Red Indian chief and the French, they all, in turn, have been credited as the originators of O.K.” His accounts of each of these possibilities seem far fetched on their own, but perhaps the O.K. came into usage from a combination of factors.

Either way, it would be pretty hard to go a day without it. Certainly for the large-headed Mr Mackey, who uses the word at the end of everything he

Mr. Mackey on LSD

says. “Drugs are bad, m’kay?” “South Park is the shizzle m’kay?” and “I’m gonna kill myself, m’kay?” - this guy would be nothing without it. Check out his song Don't Say Fuck Anymore Just Use The Word M'Kay.

And if you, dear reader, think you know the story behind this funny little term, I would like to hear it, m'kay?

Images: Wikipedia (1,2)

109

Vote

Subscribe to this blog

Email this post to a friend

Start your own blog

[ Link ]

Posted By: ag - Category: No Category

Related Posts:

Relate This Post

[ Previous - Black Is The New Black ]

[ Next - the day is done ]

Comments

5 Comments. [ Add A Comment ]

Comment by Holistic

September 9th 2006 07:55

There are a few historians that link it to the First World War and the death count of each campaign. On the campaign report it was written the number of sldiers killed and wounded. When no one died it was written 0 K (zero kills). So OK became a sign that all was ok.

But that's just a myth ehe

Namasté,
Ricardo

Comment by Ahmed

September 9th 2006 08:11

Video Gamer Kids
Little Green Foosballs
PolyKicks

Nah, it actually originated with George Washington. You see, he wasn't a very good speller at the time and afer reading documents and giving it the all clear he'd right 'O.K', which he thought was an abbreviation for 'Oll Korrect'...

Just my two cents

Comment by ag

September 9th 2006 09:25

Eat French Bread

Thanks Hollistic and Ahmed for your insights. Another theory was that there was a guy named Oscar Kolle who worked in a Ford car factory checking the manufactured parts. When they passed the quality test he would mark them with his initials, hence O.K. came to signify acceptance.

The list of possibilities continues...