Explaining the word 'Okay'

[Sean]

My phenomenal talent for bothering people has found new ground here in my teaching job in S.Korea.

Explaining the more simple errors in the use of English to learners causes great problems, for the reason that the simple things are also quite complex- because their simplicity consists in basic features of the language ie that are presupposed.

These are far easier to learn from just speaking than from theory, but people don't speak enough to gain the understanding, and the errors persist. So they're then very unsettled to find from a native speaker that they don't grasp such basics, and respond by avoiding the issue, and generating aversion to me.

For instance, the word okay, which English speakers whether genius or half-wit use a hundred times a day, turns out to be pretty complex to explain- and English learners get it very wrong, especially taking it to mean yes, or either- due to misinterpretations of 1) and 2) below.


The word 'okay'-
Here's five meanings it has, and two it does not have-

'Okay' means-

1) 'I agree', or 'If we must, then I agree'
for instance-

Would you like to come for a walk? - Okay.  (seems like 'Yes'...)
or
It's a lot of work, but you need to get it done.  -  Okay.

or

2) 'It's acceptable, but not especially good'  (seems like any or 'either')for instance

The food at the hotel isn't fantastic, but it's okay.

or

3) 'I understand'
for instance

You use the red one first, then the blue one.  -  Okay.

or

4) To begin a statement
for instance-

Okay, today we'll study English.

or

5) To give approval for something
for instance

He's given us the okay to buy some new equipment.


'Okay' does not mean

A) 'Yes' (though 'I agree' can seem like 'yes'- as in 1) above)for instance

Are you from Korea?  -  Okay.    -  wrong!
or
Is this train going to Seoul?  -  Okay.    -  wrong!
or
Should I be there by 10 o'clock?  -  Okay.   - wrong!


B) 'Either' (though 'It's acceptable' can seem somewhat like 'either'- as in 2) above)
for instance

Would you like tea or coffee?  -  Okay.  -  wrong!
or
Well, can I get you a tea or a coffee? - Okay, okay. - wrong!

Okay can also be written as OK: it's from a humorous form of 'all correct'- 'orl korrect' (from America, 1840, from President Van Buren's re-election campaign where it was used as a slogan, and also relating to the initials of his home town Old Kinderhook).

[Sean]

Just wanted to get that off my chest. My manageress actually stopped the session today, she was so riled at me.

[Szykneij]

Just wanted to get that off my chest. My manageress actually stopped the session today, she was so riled at me.

alright

[Archaic Torso of Apollo]

Just wanted to get that off my chest. My manageress actually stopped the session today, she was so riled at me.

OK

[karlhenning]

O

.

.

.

.

.

K

[mahler10th]

Fine then.

[The new erato]

[Papy Oli]

okey dokey

[karlhenning]

. . . it's from a humorous form of 'all correct'- 'orl korrect'

That's always seemed to me too hokey.  Not that there aren't quite a few genuinely true hokey things in the world;  but too hokey for me readily to accept on spec.

Hokey, okey dokey.

[Szykneij]

[The new erato]

Somehow, Gunfight at the Hokey Dokey Corral doesn't sound as interesting.

[karlhenning]

Somehow, Gunfight at the Hokey Dokey Corral doesn't sound as interesting.

Ah! The shortcomings of "Reality TV"!

[drogulus]

    OK has all the secondary meanings of yes without the primary one.

    Did you murder Mr. Mustard?

    OK.

     

    Next, we will explore the meaning of Emoticons. Are they collapsing Western Civilization or do they signify the progressive deterioration of the bourgeois value system? _{(choose one )}

    Edited the post to make it more transgressive and challenging to the dominant Western Paradigm.

   

[Szykneij]

[Sean]

You bunch of crazies.

[drogulus]

You bunch of crazies.

     I'm Ohhhh Kaayy with that. _:-)

[greg]

You bunch of crazies.

"Be like everyone else, so no one can recognize you."   0:)

[Szykneij]

You bunch of crazies.

I find it eerie that three of us crazies live within a five mile radius, but never knew of each other until we met on this board. Must be the water.   

[adamdavid80]

I find it eerie that three of us crazies live within a five mile radius, but never knew of each other until we met on this board. Must be the water.   

Why?  Where do all live?  Oklahoma?

[imperfection]

Why?  Where do all live?  Oklahoma?