OK again

[Alan H. Hartley]

Wallace Chafe wrote:

> I agree with Bob about the Oll Korrect explanation, which probably ought
> to be put to rest for good, unless somebody finds some really convincing
> documentation of its use.

Apologies for the continued English excursion from the Muskogean/Caddoan
excursion from Siouan, but here (abridged) is what the OED says at the
two O.K. homonyms (to which I certainly can't add anything, not having
had time to read Read):

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O.K.(1) "from the initial letters of Old Kinderhook, the nickname of
Martin Van Buren (1782-1862), president of the United States (1837-41)
(< Kinderhook, the name of Van Buren's hometown in New York State),
after OK a. and OK int.1 Cf. Old Hickory s.v. HICKORY n. 2c.
   The use as an interjection is purely as an electoral slogan and
rapidly comes to overlap with OK int.1 This assimilation is especially
clear late in 1840, during the election proper, when the slogan is used
to signal success in a particular locality (see quots. 18402, 18403 at
sense B.), although the process had begun within a few weeks of the
appearance of the initials:
   1840 Democratic Republican New Era (N.Y.) 27 May 2/6 We acknowledge
the receipt of a very pretty gold Pin,..having upon it the (to the
'Whigs') very frightful letters O.K., significant of the birth-place of
Martin Van Buren, old Kinderhook, as also the rallying word of the
Democracy of the late election, 'all correct'... Those who wear them
should bear in mind that it will require their most strenuous
exertions..to make all things O.K.
   Allen W. Read argues that the widespread use of the slogan was
critical in popularizing the original, usual sense of OK (see Amer.
Speech (1963) 38 83-102)."
A. n.
1. Old Kinderhook, a nickname for Martin Van Buren, United States
president and the Democratic presidential candidate, during the election
of 1840. Chiefly attrib. in O.K. Club, a group in the Democratic party's
central organization in New York which campaigned vigorously for Van
Buren during this election; cf. TAMMANY n.
2. A Democratic campaigner in New York during the presidential election
of 1840; a member of the O.K. Club.
B. int. temporary. Used as an election slogan by the Democratic party
(originally in New York) in the presidential election of 1840. Obs.
Merging almost immediately with OK int.1; see etymological note above.

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O.K.(2) "see A. W. Read in Amer. Speech (1963) 38, (1964) 39, etc. From
the detailed evidence provided by A. W. Read it seems clear that O.K.
first appeared in 1839 (an instance of a contemporary vogue for humorous
abbreviations of this type), and that in 1840 it became greatly
reinforced by association with the initialism O.K. n1."