Re: Origin of "Okay"

Posted by ESC on March 03, 2000

In Reply to: Origin of "Okay" posted by Tony Morris on March 03, 2000

: Another theory which I find attractive is that "okay" derives from the Scottish "auch aye", meaning "ah yes".

That's a new one. Here's what I've found. From the "Morris Dictionary of Word and Phrase Origins" (Second Edition, HarperCollins, 1977) by William and Mary Morris: Mr. and Mrs. Morris say that O.K./okay "has probably been more discussed than any other item in the American language." They list several theories including that President Woodrow Wilson thought Okey was a Choctaw Indian. Other theories: O.K. was an abbreviation for Old Kinderhook Club, a political group supporting James Van Buren (The Kinderhook Fox) for president in 1840; stood for 'Aux Cayes," a Haiti port known for superior rum; for the illiterate phrase "Orl Korrect," and so forth. "Okey-doke. As noted above, O.K. first appeared in print some time before 1840. It has now achieved 'colloquial' status in reference books, meaning that it is perfectly permissible in conversation and informal writing. Okey-doke and is variant okey-dokey, however, did not make their debuts in print until about 1930. Each is still considered slang."