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Thread: America's Best-Known Word

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    America's Best-Known Word

    You click it when it appears inside a little box on your computer screen.

    It’s a shorthand way of saying everything is going smoothly, a signal to go ahead, a quick approval, or a lukewarm, non-committal reply. It’s the all-purpose, one-size fits all, the argument-stopping Neapolitan ice cream of words.

    America’s first acronym has a whimsical history, still going strong with in the 21st century. These two little letters are instantly recognized across the globe, even in non-English speaking countries. Or you can make it a non-offensive four letter word: “okay.” No matter how you spell it, the ubiquitous colloquialism is 175 years old today, March 23, 2014.

    One of the niftiest features of “OK” is its usefulness during times when you don’t want to overstate your case or feign enthusiasm while at the same time wanting to appear positive about a subject.

    An example goes back three or four decades in which celebrity spokeswoman and erstwhile game show contestant Arlene Francis did a commercial on live tv. She deftly opened a can of dog food, gamely gave it a quick sniff, and announced: “And it smells --[pregnant pause] -- ok!”


    http://www.nydailynews.com/life-styl...icle-1.1717765
    Last edited by AuntShecky; 03-25-2014 at 05:41 PM.

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    Cat Person DickZ's Avatar
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    Hi Auntie,

    Since I guessed correctly before reaching the third paragraph that the best known word you were talking about was OK, I was interested in the background of all this. I was a little frustrated to find that neither of the links provide any insight, at least at my end. The first link comes up as invalid and the second shows a bunch of news articles including favorite daily subjects such as the missing Malaysian airplane and the status of gay marriages in one of the states here in America. Neither of these articles throws any light onto the subject of how the word OK came about.

    By doing my own research, I think I found what triggered your declaration that the word is now 175 years old, as it related to the initials Old Kinderhook, a nickname for Martin Van Buren, who ran for president in 1840.

    Can you verify from your end that the links work?
    Last edited by DickZ; 03-23-2014 at 02:18 PM.
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    I don't know why the link went to a general news webpage, but the original article came from the New York Daily News.
    I restored the appropriate link, and now it seems to be working "okay."

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    Cat Person DickZ's Avatar
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    Yes, Auntie, that's much better.
    Currently reading Lust for Life by Irving Stone. Recently completed The Origin by Irving Stone, Moguls and Iron Men by James McCague, The Great Bridge by David McCullough, All the Great Prizes by John Taliaferro, Empire by Gore Vidal, Middlemarch by George Eliot, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe, Animal Farm by George Orwell, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton.

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    I thought 'twerk' or '#yolo' would be America's best known word...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Volya View Post
    I thought 'twerk' or '#yolo' would be America's best known word...
    But "ok" has been around 174 years longer.

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    Does this mean more people know how to say 'ok' than 'yes'? Or 'the'? I'm curious how they measured it...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Volya View Post
    Does this mean more people know how to say 'ok' than 'yes'? Or 'the'? I'm curious how they measured it...
    I think so.
    But you're right in observing the lack of corroborating statistics by the Daily News writer as well as the promoter of Global OK Day. My guess is that the word "ok" is more recognizable in other countries more than "yes." The popularity of the word overseas has soared since the Second World War from its use by G.I.s (and used by the inhabitants of the country in order to communicate with the soldiers.) Also, global trade may have spread the word (so to speak) further. The greatest influence must have been and continues to be the popularity of American music and movies. Commercials, too!

    I'm pretty sure "ok" is used more than "yes," especially on computers. "Yes" probably won't unseat the affirmative word in other languages-- "ja," "oui," "si," etc. Although the use of articles is one of the four major rules of the English Language, English speakers will use "the," whereas some other language may not use articles at all. If they do, they're likely to use the native term: "la," "der" (or "das,") "el" etc.
    Last edited by AuntShecky; 03-27-2014 at 05:15 PM.

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    I think I may have mistaken the meaning of 'America's Best-Known Word'... It means a word from America that is most famous around the world rather than a word that is most famous in America? I think I understand now.

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