“O.K ” AND ITS ORIGIN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1868, 24 August 1918, Page 3

“O.K ” AND ITS ORIGIN.

In (lie Saturday Rvening Post (Philadelphia) a character sketch of President Wilson by Mr David Lawrence is entitled “Okeh W.W.”, and supplies what is stated to be an explanation of the abbreviation. “0.K.” “Mr Wilson’s methods,” says the writer, “are novel.” Secretaries and attaches at the executive offices testify to Mr Wilson's originality. They found him unlike his predecessors from the very day he sent back to them tin l first memorandum which (hey had submitted to him, on which he wrote in pencil the curious phrase, “Okeh W. W.” After other memoranda had been similarly marked, one of the assistant secretaries asked the President why he did not use the abbreviation “0.K." “Because it’s wrong,” replied the President. There was a sudden search for dictionaries, but although some of (he lexicons attributed the use of “0.K.” to Andrew .Jackson for “Oil Korrect,” none made mention of “Okeh.” “Look it up in the latest dictionary,” suggested the. President, and here is part of what was found: —“O.K. —A humorous, or original spelling of what should ho ‘Okeh,’ from the Choctaw language, meaning Tt is so;’ an article pronoun having a distinctive final use:, all right; correct; used as an endorsement of a bill.” So it has come about that “Okeh W. W.” is a kind of symbol of executive power in and about the White House.