OK!, excl. — Green’s Dictionary of Slang

OK! excl.

also okay! okeh! okey!

[corrupted abbr. of SE all correct, via its pron. as ‘orl korrect’. It dates from 1839 in the US; Hotten (1864) has it (correctly etymologized) without ref. to US origins. The term was used in the election campaign of US president Martin Van Buren in 1840, when it conveniently suited his nickname ‘Old Kinderhook’, based on the town of his birth Kinderhook, New York. It was further popularized by the OK Club, founded in 1840, whose members were Democrats who backed Van Buren]

(orig. US) a statement of agreement: all is fine, everything is in order, I agree, go ahead etc; also used interrog. OK?, do you agree?

1839		N.Y. Eve. Tattler 2 Sept. 2/2: O.K! All correct.
1841		Miss. Free Trader 25 Feb. 1/1: If they applaud and gently sigh ‘O.K.’ Twill cheer us more than gallons of Tokay! [DA].
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 60: O.K. All right; ‘Oll kerect’.
1893		J. Hawthorne Confessions of Convict 31: ‘O.K.’ is the signal for ‘enough’.
1918		Talking Machine World 15 May in Tosches (2001) n.p.: Otto Heineman, president of the Otto Heineman Phonograph Supply Co., New York, announced this week that the company is now ready to place on the market the Heineman record, which will be known as the ‘OkeH’ record.
1920		C.B. Booth ‘Mr Clacksworthy Tells the Truth’ Detective Story 19 Oct. 🌐 There [...] were the somewhat cryptic letters ‘OKEH JK’ [...] ‘“That’s J. K. Easterday’s O. K. mark—Okeh, the Indian mark of approval.’.
1930		J. Lait Put on the Spot 55: ‘Okay,’ cheerfully rejoined Slattery.
1933		R. Chandler ‘Blackmailers Don’t Shoot’ in Red Wind (1946) 74: Okey, baby. We’ll go outside. March!
1934		Rover 13 Jan. 33: ‘OK, boss,’ was the reply.
1938		W. Smitter F.O.B. Detroit 12: ‘O-keh,’ he said.
1940		R. Chandler Farewell, My Lovely (1949) 19: Okey. You met the big guy how?
1946		Mezzrow & Wolfe Really the Blues 33: O.K., O.K., come along then, I’ll take you to a place where you’ll have plenty of time.
1949		W.R. Burnett Asphalt Jungle in Four Novels (1984) 135: I got a grand planted for you. Okay?
1959		A. Zugsmith Beat Generation 28: Forget it, Father. You want another playmate. Okay.
1962		R. Cook Crust on its Uppers 38: He says O.K. and signs off.
1967		L. Bruce Essential Lenny Bruce 69: I like you, OK?
1974		V.E. Smith Jones Men 29: ‘Okay, okay,’ he said.
1976		P. Theroux Family Arsenal 92: Hey, when I’m asleep, don’t touch me, okay?
1987		B. Chatwin Songlines 138: ‘OK,’ he crooned. ‘Come on now! Give it voice! Give voice to Je-e-e-sus!’.
1992		R. Doyle Brownbread n.p.: john: I have to have a shite – I’m goin’ in the corner here, Donkey; okay. donkey: Yeh will in your shite! No way! – Go ou’ to the jacks! [BS].
1992		M. Frayn Now You Know 180: And OK, forget that, too, if you like.
1993		T. Jones Pugilist at Rest 154: Make sure I’m awake by ten, okay?
2000		T. Blacker Kill Your Darlings 46: Look, to tell the truth, I’ve become a bit involved, OK?
2013		J. Stahl Bad Sex on Speed 30: Listen up, ’kay? [...] you gotta at least look interested!
2023		J. Jackson Pineapple Street 65: ‘Literally everyone at the resort was on their honeymoon’ [...] ‘I wouldn’t have thought that was your style, but okay’.

In compounds

OK sign (n.) [orig. a visual symbol used, or popularized by 1947 Penzoil motor oil advertisement and, subseq., in used car outlets; 1980s+ SE]

(US) a hand sign made of a circle with thumb and forefinger, and other fingers upright, to indicate approval, good quality or excellence.

1945		C. Himes If He Hollers 134: I gave them the okay sign, hitched up my pants and started out.
1972		(con. c.1930) G. Sothern Georgia 268: Rags looked over his shoulder and grinned at me and made an OK sign with his fingers.
1996		P. Cornwell Cause of Death (1997) 20: He gave an okay sign to Ki Soo.
1999		Eve. Standard 4 June 54: We perform the OK signal (forming thumb and forefinger into a circle) and begin our descent.