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OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word
It is said to be the most frequently spoken (or typed) word on the planet, more common than an infant's first word ma or the ever-present beverage Coke . It was even the first word spoken on the moon. It is "OK"--the most ubiquitous and invisible of American expressions, one used countless times every day. Yet few of us know the hidden history of OK--how it was coined, what it stood for, and the amazing extent of its influence.
Allan Metcalf, a renowned popular writer on language, here traces the evolution of America's most popular word, writing with brevity and wit, and ranging across American history with colorful portraits of the nooks and crannies in which OK survived and prospered. He describes how OK was born as a lame joke in a newspaper article in 1839--used as a supposedly humorous abbreviation for "oll korrect" (ie, "all correct")--but should have died a quick death, as most clever coinages do. But OK was swept along in a nineteenth-century fad for abbreviations, was appropriated by a presidential campaign (one of the candidates being called "Old Kinderhook"), and finally was picked up by operators of the telegraph. Over the next century and a half, it established a firm toehold in the American lexicon, and eventually became embedded in pop culture, from the "I'm OK, You're OK" of 1970's transactional analysis, to Ned Flanders' absurd "Okeley Dokeley!" Indeed, OK became emblematic of a uniquely
American attitude, and is one of our most successful global exports.
"An appealing and informative history of OK."
-- Washington Post Book World
"After reading Metcalf's book, it's easy to accept his claim that OK is 'America's greatest word.'"
--Erin McKean, Boston Globe
"Entertaininga treat for logophiles."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Metcalf makes you acutely aware of how ubiquitous and vital the word has become."
--Jeremy McCarter, Newsweek
Allan Metcalf, a renowned popular writer on language, here traces the evolution of America's most popular word, writing with brevity and wit, and ranging across American history with colorful portraits of the nooks and crannies in which OK survived and prospered. He describes how OK was born as a lame joke in a newspaper article in 1839--used as a supposedly humorous abbreviation for "oll korrect" (ie, "all correct")--but should have died a quick death, as most clever coinages do. But OK was swept along in a nineteenth-century fad for abbreviations, was appropriated by a presidential campaign (one of the candidates being called "Old Kinderhook"), and finally was picked up by operators of the telegraph. Over the next century and a half, it established a firm toehold in the American lexicon, and eventually became embedded in pop culture, from the "I'm OK, You're OK" of 1970's transactional analysis, to Ned Flanders' absurd "Okeley Dokeley!" Indeed, OK became emblematic of a uniquely
American attitude, and is one of our most successful global exports.
"An appealing and informative history of OK."
-- Washington Post Book World
"After reading Metcalf's book, it's easy to accept his claim that OK is 'America's greatest word.'"
--Erin McKean, Boston Globe
"Entertaininga treat for logophiles."
-- Kirkus Reviews
"Metcalf makes you acutely aware of how ubiquitous and vital the word has become."
--Jeremy McCarter, Newsweek
240 pages, Paperback
First published October 12, 2010
23 people are currently reading
400 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews
May 2, 2016
It was ok.
December 9, 2011
If you think it would be really exciting to read the actual story of how "OK" got started (which takes about two pages) followed by two hundred pages of examples of how it's been used since then, this is the book for you. It wasn't the book for me.
February 23, 2011
ebook.
i am a nerd. i am the type of nerd who will buy a book based solely on the word "OK." i love words. and, quite frankly, i love "OK." i do, indeed, use it a lot.
this book, from the first page, had me laughing out loud...and then repeating things i'd learned to everyone and anyone who would listen.
allan metcalf has a way with words...and a way of telling the story of words that just makes you want to keep reading. i love his declaration that OK is America's finest invention, and that OK pretty much sums up the entire American view of life, America's philosophy.
i will be buying and devouring metcalf's other books on the english language...and odds are, they, too, will be better than OK.
i am a nerd. i am the type of nerd who will buy a book based solely on the word "OK." i love words. and, quite frankly, i love "OK." i do, indeed, use it a lot.
this book, from the first page, had me laughing out loud...and then repeating things i'd learned to everyone and anyone who would listen.
allan metcalf has a way with words...and a way of telling the story of words that just makes you want to keep reading. i love his declaration that OK is America's finest invention, and that OK pretty much sums up the entire American view of life, America's philosophy.
i will be buying and devouring metcalf's other books on the english language...and odds are, they, too, will be better than OK.
June 30, 2018
I like to discover the origins and evolution of language, and that's exactly what Allan Metcalf's book OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word does. While OK originated as a joking abbreviation that implied the user was a simpleton, it has evolved and become a word used and understood worldwide.
August 20, 2015
Just...okay.
Pretty interesting but a little long-winded. Don't read it if you don't want to be extremely aware of every time someone says 'okay.'
Pretty interesting but a little long-winded. Don't read it if you don't want to be extremely aware of every time someone says 'okay.'
August 29, 2022
(3.5 STARS)
Informative and mostly engaging. Some of the chapters weren’t as interesting to me, but as an overview of an unusual word, it was…OK. ;)
Informative and mostly engaging. Some of the chapters weren’t as interesting to me, but as an overview of an unusual word, it was…OK. ;)
August 12, 2016
I hope it doesn't sound patronizing or condescending to say this is a great light read before bedtime for language geeks. It has short chapters and pleasant subject matter.
Immediately previous to this book, I read a harrowing war novel before sleeping. I had unpleasant nightmares about war as a result. That's a testimony to the novel's power, I suppose, but sometimes I just want to have a good night's sleep. I didn't have any nightmares about OK while reading this book.
Other reviews here that say this book is basically a padded magazine article. This is true. In some cases the padding was entertaining, so I didn't mind. I enjoyed reading about the transformation of OK through use, and about the incorrect theories of OK's origin. However, the chapter about Oklahoma (and possibly others) should have been left out.
I would also like to have seen some research into how OK burrowed into foreign languages. During my time in non-native-English-speaking lands, I have heard “OK” on the lips of people who don't speak English. How did this happen? I would have like Metcalf to have chosen a couple of representative foreign languages as case studies. I would have like to have seen evidence and analysis of first usage in the language, subsequent evolution, etc., similar to the analysis Metcalf did on OK's earliest appearances in English.
I acknowledge most people would be completely uninterested in this and, if Metcalf had proposed it, his editor/publisher would have told him not to waste his time. The language geek bedtime reader is just not a large enough demographic.
Immediately previous to this book, I read a harrowing war novel before sleeping. I had unpleasant nightmares about war as a result. That's a testimony to the novel's power, I suppose, but sometimes I just want to have a good night's sleep. I didn't have any nightmares about OK while reading this book.
Other reviews here that say this book is basically a padded magazine article. This is true. In some cases the padding was entertaining, so I didn't mind. I enjoyed reading about the transformation of OK through use, and about the incorrect theories of OK's origin. However, the chapter about Oklahoma (and possibly others) should have been left out.
I would also like to have seen some research into how OK burrowed into foreign languages. During my time in non-native-English-speaking lands, I have heard “OK” on the lips of people who don't speak English. How did this happen? I would have like Metcalf to have chosen a couple of representative foreign languages as case studies. I would have like to have seen evidence and analysis of first usage in the language, subsequent evolution, etc., similar to the analysis Metcalf did on OK's earliest appearances in English.
I acknowledge most people would be completely uninterested in this and, if Metcalf had proposed it, his editor/publisher would have told him not to waste his time. The language geek bedtime reader is just not a large enough demographic.
October 1, 2011
I really, really wanted to give this two stars (meaning "it was ok"), but I did like it a bit better than that.
Metcalf, a professor of English, delves into the history of the world's more recognizable "word," dispelling origin myths along the way. After describing the happy meeting of an 1830s fad for initialisms, the 1840 presidential elections and an attempt at journalistic humor, he goes on to describe the many ways this seemingly innocuous word has made an impact on American culture. I like how he gives even the smallest themes their own chapters -- the one on Oklahoma is only a few pages, but it does deserve to stand alone.
I also appreciate that variations on ok, such as AOK and Ned Flanders' "okely-dokely-doo" were given their due. However, sometimes the examples, especially in the section on literary uses of ok, went on a bit too long.
My only real beef with this book came in the introduction. Metcalf writes:
Metcalf, a professor of English, delves into the history of the world's more recognizable "word," dispelling origin myths along the way. After describing the happy meeting of an 1830s fad for initialisms, the 1840 presidential elections and an attempt at journalistic humor, he goes on to describe the many ways this seemingly innocuous word has made an impact on American culture. I like how he gives even the smallest themes their own chapters -- the one on Oklahoma is only a few pages, but it does deserve to stand alone.
I also appreciate that variations on ok, such as AOK and Ned Flanders' "okely-dokely-doo" were given their due. However, sometimes the examples, especially in the section on literary uses of ok, went on a bit too long.
My only real beef with this book came in the introduction. Metcalf writes:
You won't find footnotes in this book. The Internet changes too fast for that. Instead, I have tried to acknowledge sources in sufficient detail that you can locate them too by Googling, with a little luck.Really? I may need to check with some of the English Composition I professors at my college, but I'm pretty sure "the Internet changes too fast" won't fly in place of proper documentation. Maybe the publisher had some sort of page limit? Whatever the reason -- boo! That is definitely not ok.
April 25, 2011
This is a book that should have been a magazine article. Its fun to read, but the basic premise (that "OK" as a word began life as a joke in 1839) can be stated in one chapter (and is). The rest is proof of the claim, examining other origins that the author is convinced (and convincing) are clearly wrong, and discussing its on and off history following its inception.
It also explores the universal use of "OK" around the world, and why it caught on.
It's a fast read, however, and worthwhile for anyone interested in the history of language and how it evolves.
It also explores the universal use of "OK" around the world, and why it caught on.
It's a fast read, however, and worthwhile for anyone interested in the history of language and how it evolves.
April 9, 2025
Hi, my name is Anne, I abuse the word "ok!" - It's my favorite interjection to use in email! - LOL, so of course I had to read this book as soon as I saw there was some random, deep history on the word. Who knew it has such an irreverent beginning and only through a hoax type thing did it make it out of 1839 alive and...well? I think it's awesome that it can four different parts of speech (interjection will always be my fav, but verb, adverb, and noun aren't bad, either). And I extra adore that the word doesn't have any consistency in terms of spelling and punctuation. Ok? Okay!
The book itself was just about right in terms of length and depth, though I will say by the end I did end up skimming right on past all those exemplar paragraphs. If you really wanted just the essential history, you'd probably only need to read the first four chapters or so. But I also found enjoyment out of the Okey-Dokey and The World - and England chapters. LOL, not sure I completely understand the the rules ok thing but at least I understand how the Dandy Warhols came to have an album titled The Dandys Rule OK.
A short, mildly amusing read once I sat down to actually read it.
3.5 stars
The book itself was just about right in terms of length and depth, though I will say by the end I did end up skimming right on past all those exemplar paragraphs. If you really wanted just the essential history, you'd probably only need to read the first four chapters or so. But I also found enjoyment out of the Okey-Dokey and The World - and England chapters. LOL, not sure I completely understand the the rules ok thing but at least I understand how the Dandy Warhols came to have an album titled The Dandys Rule OK.
A short, mildly amusing read once I sat down to actually read it.
3.5 stars
May 19, 2016
This book was . . . OK.
June 11, 2017
The title says it all. In this brief book Allan Metcalf traces the history of the word OK through its probable beginnings as a joke up through its widespread usage today. Recognized and assimilated into nearly every language in the world, it is one of the most understood words of all time.
The book doesn't intend to offer great profundity. It's simply a quick and interesting story of how a simple neologism became a worldwide force. As with any book based on examples, there are some that will work with readers better than others. This doesn't prevent the book from being enjoyable, however.
I blogged about the book here href="https://steveawiggins.com/2017/05/18/... and Violence in the Ancient World as well. Fun and informative, it won't demand much of your time and you're sure to learn something along the way.
The book doesn't intend to offer great profundity. It's simply a quick and interesting story of how a simple neologism became a worldwide force. As with any book based on examples, there are some that will work with readers better than others. This doesn't prevent the book from being enjoyable, however.
I blogged about the book here href="https://steveawiggins.com/2017/05/18/... and Violence in the Ancient World as well. Fun and informative, it won't demand much of your time and you're sure to learn something along the way.
July 13, 2023
This book didn't even quite live up to its title. I was really encouraged by the first chapters, which got into the phonetic qualities of okay and an analysis of how the letters look and sound together and the many parts of speech and sometimes contradictory meanings. It went downhill from there. I think in order to make even this short, small book, the author was forced to leave in extended and drawn out examples that belabored the point. Instead, I feel like it would have been a more interesting extension to really get into how OK has become ubiquitous not only in the US, but around the world.
November 11, 2018
**Didn't write any reviews for the books I read between the beginning of October to the beginning of November. Therefore, the details of this following review may be fuzzier than usual; that means take it easy on me and do not rub balloons to this review's hair; a fuzzball puff will be the result.**
Made what could be the subject of a magazine article or online video into a book. Felt like it outstayed its welcomed about half-way through it. Mainly examples of usage than an origin story. Just barely okie-dokie.
Made what could be the subject of a magazine article or online video into a book. Felt like it outstayed its welcomed about half-way through it. Mainly examples of usage than an origin story. Just barely okie-dokie.
May 6, 2022
Better than just OK
This fun little book chronicles “OK” from its beginnings as a barely-funny joke in an 1830s newspaper to its position as probably the most American word in human language.
It also explores a lot of the tangents and false etymologies that followed these two letters around nearly since it first showed up in print.
An entertaining bit of language history
This fun little book chronicles “OK” from its beginnings as a barely-funny joke in an 1830s newspaper to its position as probably the most American word in human language.
It also explores a lot of the tangents and false etymologies that followed these two letters around nearly since it first showed up in print.
An entertaining bit of language history
November 27, 2017
I read this over the course of the couple months in short, short snippets. A book that is a little informative, sometimes entertaining, and easy to put-down and pick-up again, it makes for good light reading.
November 27, 2017
Is there enough worth saying about this one word to fill a book, even a short book? Yes, but only barely. I found some interesting material stretched thin across too many pages and with too much scaffolding. If you're ambivalent about your logophilia, pass on this.
March 4, 2019
Other reviews of this book are spot on. It is a wonderful story that would have made a lovely magazine article. Like a high school term paper, the contents have been unnaturally stretched to meet a greater length than the subject merits.
January 2, 2021
I like it!
November 22, 2024
Great fun for a word nerd. Follows the origin, use, and cultural valence of 'ok' from it's mid 1800s origin in American newspapers as a joke-intentional-misspelling until today.
January 20, 2016
I liked this book when it stuck to the evolution of OK and the anecdotes around it. My favorite parts are the historical documents and the little tidbits of context, such as explaining the political slang of 1840 or how Railroad Morse code is different from the one we use today. However, the book feels padded. Not only does this 200-page book have a 27-page introduction, it's packed with unnecessary observations and opinions: the author's opinions about the aesthetics of "OK," a list of businesses named "OK Cleaners," an entire chapter about OK's lack of popularity in Oklahoma. The trend continues with increasingly wearying attempts at humor by spelling "c" words with "k" and full page devoted to an underexposed photo of a tray of "OK" cookies.
Another problem with the relentless completism is that it highlights the occasional lack. Why provide a chapter on the aesthetics of "OK" without quoting a graphic designer? Why discuss all the different spellings of "OK" without citing modern style guides? Why explain what only two of the four mystifying professional descriptions mean? (I'm still not sure what a "butt-ender is.)
All in all, it was a decent light read, but not a keeper. I agree with the reviewers who say this book would be better as a magazine article.
Another problem with the relentless completism is that it highlights the occasional lack. Why provide a chapter on the aesthetics of "OK" without quoting a graphic designer? Why discuss all the different spellings of "OK" without citing modern style guides? Why explain what only two of the four mystifying professional descriptions mean? (I'm still not sure what a "butt-ender is.)
All in all, it was a decent light read, but not a keeper. I agree with the reviewers who say this book would be better as a magazine article.
October 25, 2011
Although some might strictly go by the title and assume this book isn't exactly the page-turner of the century, I had high hopes for Metcalf's book as I maintain a somewhat fleeting interest in etymology, and the story of the word 'ok' seemed too good to pass up.
To open, Metcalf walks the author through various aspects of the word ok: its true origins, the many variations on spelling, its uses in the English language. He then goes in-depth through some of the incorrect stories of ok's beginnings, and finally explores the usage of throughout literature in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Alas, Metcalf's book proved to be a little too dry for my taste. The story of ok's true origins turned out to be quite short, and the book took on a somewhat monotonous tone, with excerpt after excerpt filling out much of the book. Although I found a few good nuggets of information, by the end it felt more like a random hodgepodge of anecdotes that didn't really point to an overall theme.
To open, Metcalf walks the author through various aspects of the word ok: its true origins, the many variations on spelling, its uses in the English language. He then goes in-depth through some of the incorrect stories of ok's beginnings, and finally explores the usage of throughout literature in the 20th and 21st centuries.
Alas, Metcalf's book proved to be a little too dry for my taste. The story of ok's true origins turned out to be quite short, and the book took on a somewhat monotonous tone, with excerpt after excerpt filling out much of the book. Although I found a few good nuggets of information, by the end it felt more like a random hodgepodge of anecdotes that didn't really point to an overall theme.
February 28, 2013
Check out what I wrote in my blog: http://lunairereadings.blogspot.com/2...
This is the incredible story of a very small; awkward word that made its way to world fame and general use and understanding. The book tells a little bit about the origin of the word (the time it was used for the first time in a little Boston newspaper (March 23th 1839); as a joke of a misspelled oll korrect); and then navigates through all the imaginable examples on how it is used in all the literature and speech not only in English; but in other languages as well. The book is full of anecdotes and literary examples that include a vast sort of excerpts such as the classics; and even political discourse. It is by no means boring but a very entertaining book.
This is the incredible story of a very small; awkward word that made its way to world fame and general use and understanding. The book tells a little bit about the origin of the word (the time it was used for the first time in a little Boston newspaper (March 23th 1839); as a joke of a misspelled oll korrect); and then navigates through all the imaginable examples on how it is used in all the literature and speech not only in English; but in other languages as well. The book is full of anecdotes and literary examples that include a vast sort of excerpts such as the classics; and even political discourse. It is by no means boring but a very entertaining book.
April 19, 2014
I might be more in the neighborhood of 4.5 stars with this one, but I thought I'd bring up the average.
In short, I loved it. Great balance between academic integrity (all the primary evidence in the form of quotes made my English teacher heart soar) and accessible style. Like having a fascinating conversation with someone who knows his stuff and loves his subject.
Yes, I skimmed a lot of the longer quotes. They need to be there for Metcalf to support his rather complex argument about how/why OK has changed over the years, but I didn't need to read all of them. (My favorite was the Louisa May Alcott.)
The part about NASA inventing AOK and the transactional analysis giving us in the US an entirely new way of thinking--so fun.
In short, I loved it. Great balance between academic integrity (all the primary evidence in the form of quotes made my English teacher heart soar) and accessible style. Like having a fascinating conversation with someone who knows his stuff and loves his subject.
Yes, I skimmed a lot of the longer quotes. They need to be there for Metcalf to support his rather complex argument about how/why OK has changed over the years, but I didn't need to read all of them. (My favorite was the Louisa May Alcott.)
The part about NASA inventing AOK and the transactional analysis giving us in the US an entirely new way of thinking--so fun.
May 14, 2011
This is a detailed study of the expression/word - "OK" from its initial occurrence in 1839 until the present. It is informative in outlining all the ways in which this word is used and its variety of meanings. It is also funny and interesting in showing the odd ways in which words develop and come to be used. There are lots and lots of examples and I learned many factoids that I had not previously known. The limitation, of course, is that even for a book about a word as interesting as OK. As a result, the book seems a bit stretched for what is actually provided, but on the whole the book was .... OK!
December 23, 2010
It was just too easy to rate OK as ok, although lots of people probably will. There are as many interesting facts as there are not so interesting facts. For example, I'm not sure I needed to know how many times Zora Neale Hurston used "OK" in THEIR EYES WERE WATCHING GOD (once for anyone who can't wait to find out). I won't give anything else away, but I did mostly enjoy reading this skinny book. Just curious...why did such an American book get published by a British company?
December 15, 2010
This little books packs in quite a bit of information, including the birth of OK, a timeline of usage, various false origin stories, literary quotes from the ages, and it's international appeal. I knew the basic story of how it was coined, but this elaborated quite a bit and I would consider it worth your time if you like the history of words.
March 15, 2011
323rd - 2011
OK, in my humble opinion, this book is OK.
Buset dah, perlu satu buku cuman buat ngebahas asal usul kata OK (ini kata atau singkatan atau kata yang berasal dari singkatan?) dan penggunaannya.
OK, in my humble opinion, this book is OK.
Buset dah, perlu satu buku cuman buat ngebahas asal usul kata OK (ini kata atau singkatan atau kata yang berasal dari singkatan?) dan penggunaannya.
researched-read-some
December 6, 2014"Metcalf makes you acutely aware of how ubiquitous and vital the word has become."
--Jeremy McCarter, Newsweek
Hmmm... That intrigues me. So does the attitude that goes along with this word.
--Jeremy McCarter, Newsweek
Hmmm... That intrigues me. So does the attitude that goes along with this word.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 45 reviews