https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/api.php?action=feedcontributions&feedformat=atom&user=Awesome+yzexplain xkcd - User contributions [en]2026-05-23T16:56:15ZUser contributionsMediaWiki 1.30.0https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index.php?title=2250:_OK/okay/ok&diff=1854642250: OK/okay/ok2020-01-03T21:34:55Z<p>Awesome yz: </p>
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<div>{{comic<br />
| number = 2250<br />
| date = January 03, 2020<br />
| title = {{{1|OK/okay/ok}}}<br />
| image = {{{2|ok okay ok.png}}}<br />
| titletext = {{{3|After changing it back and forth several times and consulting with internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch, I settled on "ok" in my book How To, but I'm still on the fence. Maybe I should just switch to "oK."}}}<br />
}}<br />
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==Explanation==<br />
{{incomplete|Created by an O.K.A.Y. user}}<br />
The word "{{w|OK}}", per Wikipedia, "is an American English word denoting approval, acceptance, agreement, assent, acknowledgment, or a sign of indifference." <br />
<br />
The Oxford English Dictionary says that it began in 1839 as "O.K.", a fanciful abbreviation for "oll korrect" (all correct). According to [[Randall]], modern usage of the word is with both letters in lowercase "ok", or fully spelled out as "okay". The original spelling of the word as "O.K." with periods after the letters is less commonly used in modern times, so Randall equates this usage to "an alien impersonating a human". Wikipedia says, "Whether this word is printed as OK, Ok, ok, okay, or O.K. is a matter normally resolved in the style manual for the publication involved."<br />
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Mentioned in the title text, {{w|Gretchen McCulloch}} is a Canadian Internet linguist focusing on trends in use of English words in online communications. It seems that Randall consulted with her on the use of "ok" in his book ''[[How To]]'', but he is still unsure which usage is the "proper" usage in modern writing. He is considering switching to "oK.", a strange spelling.<br />
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==Transcript==<br />
{{incomplete transcript}}<br />
<br />
:[in a line there 4 writings of the word "okay" and below each a caption.]<br />
:okay ok OK O.K.<br />
:[under "okay"] normal [under "ok"] normal [under "OK"] kind of old [under "O.K."] like an alien impersonating a human<br />
:[Caption below the panel:]<br />
:How your spelling of "okay" makes you sound<br />
<br />
{{comic discussion}}<br />
<!-- Include any categories below this line. --><br />
[[Category:Language]]<br />
[[Category:Comics featuring real people]] <!-- Gretchen McCulloch in the title text --><br />
[[Category:Compromise]]</div>Awesome yz