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According to IdiomSite, a cheery collection of common phrases explained, the origins of "OK" remain a mystery. Strange considering it's a relatively new phrase, only coming into popularity in the mid-1800s. While no one's sure of the origin of "OK," there are a handful of popular explanations. President Martin Van Buren ran for re-election in 1840 on the "OK" slogan, as his nickname was "Old Kinderhook." Unfortunately, his supporters, the "OK Club," failed to get their man back in the White House. While Van Buren certainly popularized the phrase, he probably didn't come up with it. The Straight Dope claims the letters come from the phrase "Oll Korrect." The phrase comes from a curious fad for "comical abbreviations" that swept the country in the 1830s and 1840s. The estimable Oxford Dictionary concurs, while also noting that the term has several foreign equivalents: the Scots "och aye," the Greek "ola kala," the Choctaw Indian "Oke." Word Origins adds that "OK" is the most successful American phrase ever, having spread across the globe by the early 20th century.
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