Definition Detail: OK

One of the most popular American sayings ever is "OK" (also spelled "O.K." or "okay"), coined in the 1830s. What did "OK" originally stand for?

1. our knowledge

2. only kidding

3. oll korrect

4. It never stood for anything.

And the answer is . . . "oll korrect." It comes from a trend at the time of basing abbreviations on alternate spellings (because what else fun was there to do in the 1830s?). "OK' then became popularized by the 1840 U.S. presidential campaign of Martin Van Buren, who used the slogan "Vote for OK" in reference to both his hometown and his nickname, Old Kinderhook. And the rest is history. "OK" has become one of the most popular and enduring words in American English. 👌