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OK?
Feb 19, 2011 21:24:08 GMT
Post by onlymark on Feb 19, 2011 21:24:08 GMT
On 23 March 1839, OK was introduced to the world on the second page of the Boston Morning Post, in the midst of a long paragraph, as "o.k. (all correct)".www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-12503686
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OK?
Feb 19, 2011 23:00:07 GMT
Post by lola on Feb 19, 2011 23:00:07 GMT
Okie doke.
When I lived in northern New Mexico, local women on parting would say, all in a rush, "OK, bueno, see you, bye!"
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OK?
Feb 20, 2011 1:14:42 GMT
Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2011 1:14:42 GMT
There are so many conflicting stories about the origin of OK. My own preference goes to the New Orleans story.
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OK?
Feb 20, 2011 1:26:56 GMT
Post by fumobici on Feb 20, 2011 1:26:56 GMT
Where don't they understand and use the expression? Listen to tourists or locals from almost anywhere and you will eventually hear them use "OK". In Italy it's used as much as if not more than it is in the US. Probably because the most likely alternative is "d'accordo".
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OK?
Feb 20, 2011 5:05:30 GMT
Post by onlymark on Feb 20, 2011 5:05:30 GMT
However, the gesture equivalent of the phrase, one thumb up, is not universally accepted. I know in some middle eastern countries it was originally an insult but as come to signify the opposite due to western influences.
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OK?
Feb 20, 2011 11:11:07 GMT
Post by Deleted on Feb 20, 2011 11:11:07 GMT
Fascinating.I'm always intrigued by these kinds of things.
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OK?
Feb 20, 2011 15:02:36 GMT
Post by bixaorellana on Feb 20, 2011 15:02:36 GMT
I've also heard conflicting stories about the origin of okay, & am not at all sure that the version in that news article is the final word.
What's "the New Orleans story"?
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OK?
Feb 21, 2011 5:48:22 GMT
Post by Deleted on Feb 21, 2011 5:48:22 GMT
The New Orleans story claims that it was a customs designation when it was still a French speaking port albeit with a large influx of new English speaking settlers.
The customs officials would check the goods on the ships docked there, and when they were approved for offloading, they would write "au quai" in chalk on the side of the crates. Quite a few of the workers were illiterate and/or did not speak French, but they quickly learned that when they heard the boss say what they heard as "OK" it was okay to unload the crates. "OK" quicklly became jargon in the city for anything that had been approved.
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OK?
Feb 21, 2011 14:13:49 GMT
Post by lola on Feb 21, 2011 14:13:49 GMT
Okay, I'll go with that one.
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