Few words in the English language have achieved the universal recognition and versatility of “OK.” Whether it’s used to signal agreement, approval, or understanding, “OK” is arguably one of the most widely recognized expressions across languages and cultures.
Yet, the origins of the word itself are far humbler—and far funnier—than many of us might expect.
According to linguistic historians, the term “OK” was born in Boston in the 1830s as part of a short-lived fad for humorous abbreviations and deliberate misspellings. In other words, it began as what we might today call a “dad joke.”
Boston in the 1830s
The 1830s were a time of linguistic experimentation and playful creativity in American cities, especially Boston. Newspapers of the era were full of puns, humorous slang, and intentionally misspelled abbreviations.
Educated young men—often journalists, clerks, or students—delighted in inventing silly shorthand expressions that were meant to amuse readers and insiders.
For instance, “KY” stood for “know yuse,” a humorous misspelling of “no use,” and “OW” meant “oll wright,” a deliberate misspelling of “all right.”
Into this culture of playful abbreviation came “OK.” On March 23, 1839, the Boston Morning Post printed the letters “o.k.” as part of a joke referencing “oll korrect,” a humorous misspelling of “all correct.”
The editor, Charles Gordon Greene, likely had no idea that this small piece of wit would one day become one of the most enduring and globally recognized expressions in human history.
OK = Oll Korrect
“Oll korrect” was never meant to be taken seriously. It was a tongue-in-cheek imitation of the way an uneducated or rural speaker might misspell or mispronounce “all correct.”
Such jokes were popular in the newspapers of the time, where editors often poked fun at dialects and playful misuses of language.
The “oll korrect” gag appeared as part of a larger trend known as “comical abbreviations.” Writers would take a deliberately misspelled phrase and reduce it to its initials—creating abbreviations that were funny precisely because they didn’t make sense without context.
So “OK” was, in effect, a joke within a joke: a deliberately wrong abbreviation of a deliberately wrong spelling.
Much like the “dad jokes” of today, these puns relied on a combination of cleverness, silliness, and a groan-worthy sense of humor.
The humor wasn’t necessarily sophisticated, but it was accessible and catchy—traits that helped “OK” stick in the popular imagination long after the other comical abbreviations faded away.
From a Joke to Political Slogan
If “OK” had remained just another newspaper joke, it might have been forgotten like its short-lived companions. But in 1840, the expression found new life thanks to American politics.
During that year’s presidential campaign, supporters of Martin Van Buren, whose nickname was “Old Kinderhook” (after his hometown of Kinderhook, New York), adopted “OK” as a slogan.
Van Buren’s backers formed “OK Clubs” across the country, using the letters both as a nod to his nickname and as a catchy, recognizable campaign emblem. Newspapers repeated the slogan so often that the public began associating “OK” with approval and endorsement.
Even though Van Buren lost the election, “OK” had entered the national vocabulary. By the time of Abraham Lincoln’s presidency two decades later, the term was already being used informally in letters and public speech to mean “all right” or “good.”
The Global Spread
From its playful beginnings, “OK” quickly evolved beyond its Boston origins. The telegraph, which became widespread in the mid-nineteenth century, helped standardize short, efficient expressions—and “OK,” with its brevity and clarity, was ideal for telegraphic communication.
Over the following decades, the term spread far beyond the United States. It appeared in British newspapers, was adopted by speakers of other languages, and even entered global commerce.
By the twentieth century, “OK” had become one of the first truly international words, understood almost everywhere regardless of native tongue.
Linguists have long noted the irony of its success: a joke that began as a local bit of Boston humor became a global linguistic phenomenon. Some have even called “OK” as America’s greatest linguistic export.
A Dad Joke with Enduring Spirit
Though the original context of “OK” as a Boston in-joke has faded into history, its playful roots continue to echo in its use today. The word’s simplicity, flexibility, and informality all reflect the humorous spirit in which it was born.
Like a modern dad joke, “OK” originated from a small moment of linguistic silliness—one that somehow captured a universal human need for quick, easy affirmation.
Modern linguist Allan Metcalf, author of OK: The Improbable Story of America’s Greatest Word, has described “OK” as the quintessentially American expression: practical, good-humored, and adaptable. Its origins as a pun only add to its charm.
What began as “oll korrect”—a small joke between friends—has become a symbol of communication itself, a single syllable that can convey understanding, agreement, or reassurance in virtually any context.
