Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: New Books Network
Host: Dr. Miranda Melcher
Guest: Dr. Michelle McSweeney
Book Discussed: OK (Bloomsbury, 2023), part of Bloomsbury’s Object Lessons series
Date: November 17, 2025

This episode explores the fascinating history, significance, and evolution of the word “OK.” Dr. Michelle McSweeney, linguist and data scientist, delves into the surprising origins, rapid global spread, and enduring adaptability of “OK,” showing how this simple word encapsulates both human creativity and the intertwining of language and technology.

Introduction & Author Background

[01:31–04:04]

• Dr. Miranda Melcher opens the discussion by highlighting how ubiquitous yet under-examined “OK” is in daily life.
• Dr. Michelle McSweeney introduces herself (data science lead at Brilliant, teaches at CUNY; background in linguistics and chemistry).
  • Motivation: Her dissertation on text messaging and the proliferation of creative acronyms led her to deeper questions about how words spread—landing on “OK” as a fascinating case study.

    “Humans are incredibly creative. And seeing that come to life through all of these words led me to understanding OK…” (McSweeney, 02:59)

Origins of ‘OK’

[04:04–08:32]

• “OK” originated in 1839 as a joke in the Boston Morning Post—editor wrote “OK” for “all correct” to poke fun at rural speech.
• The word’s adoption reflected a democratization of language: newspapers proliferated, citizens played with words and abbreviations.
  • “OK” became part of in-group vs. out-group dialogue, similar to private family or friend-language now.

    “People were taking ownership over language. And they were playing. It was amazing.” (McSweeney, 05:58)

• Newspapers fostered “inside jokes” that readers recognized, just as teens or families invent shared words now.

How ‘OK’ Went National

[08:32–11:21]

• Key event: 1840 U.S. presidential election—Democrats used “Old Kinderhook” (Martin Van Buren) and started “OK clubs.”
• Extensive media coverage and campaign pins with “OK” spread its use rapidly—linking both “all correct” and Van Buren’s nickname.
• Within a year, “OK” had entered nationwide political and popular vocabulary due to the interaction of media, marketing, and politics.

The Gatekeepers: Books vs. Newspapers

[11:21–15:15]

• Despite popularity, publishers excluded “OK” from books—it was seen as lowbrow and too colloquial.
• Serialized fiction and newspapers democratized reading, but publishers tried to maintain boundaries of “appropriate” language.
  • Louisa May Alcott sneaked “OK” into the first edition of Little Women, but it was edited out from subsequent editions.

    “The first edition of Little Women has the word OK, and then the second edition does not...” (McSweeney, 14:48)

Technology’s Role: Telegraph, Railroad, Telephone

[15:33–20:37]

• Technological advances—railroads and telegraphs—created urgent need for concise, recognizable messages.
• “OK” ideal: 2 letters, easy to understand, and cheap (telegraphs charged by the letter).
• Telephone culture inherited “OK” as a confirmation marker, especially useful on crackly lines due to its distinctive sound.

  “OK is perfect for a static, crackly telephone line... it's very distinct.” (McSweeney, 18:32)

OK Goes Global

[20:37–23:08]

• OK spread globally via American cultural exports, especially radio and television.
• TV subtitling retained “OK,” making it a recognizable token of American-ness worldwide—became a “safe,” subtle way to signal cultural alignment during the Cold War.

  “OK is known everywhere in the world... and it was this lightweight and ephemeral way to signal alignment with American ideals.” (McSweeney, 21:32)

Digital Age: Email, Chatrooms, and Personalization

[24:05–29:49]

• Early email creators thought email would be terse, telegraph-like; they underestimated its social uses.
• Corpus studies (e.g., Enron emails) show people using “OK” creatively to manage relationships and signal belonging.
• Online, spelling variations (“k,” “okkay,” “okieee”) serve as markers of identity and community—especially in gaming and fandom spaces.

  “That's the thing that defines our modern moment... And one way that we do that is play with words like OK...” (McSweeney, 27:08)

• Words like “OK” perform not just semantic functions (“I got your message”) but phatic ones—maintaining connections.

Body Language: The OK Gesture

[29:49–31:42]

• The “OK” hand sign likely emerged from universal “ring” gestures associated with precision, but its direct origins are unclear due to the lack of recorded evidence.
• Recently, the gesture has been co-opted for negative connotations (white supremacy), showing how meanings shift over time.

OK as a Technological Marker

[31:42–35:23]

• “OK” is extraordinary as a word that began in writing rather than speech—a product of 19th-century print technology.
• Every era and new technology (telegraph, telephones, email) sparked new uses and spellings (“OK,” “O.K.,” “okay,” “k,” etc.).

  “OK doesn't even exist without technology because writing is our original...communication technology... and all these junctures, it's gotten a new spelling, a new purpose...” (McSweeney, 33:01)

Broader Reflections: What OK Teaches About Human Connection

[35:23–37:00]

• The staying power of “OK” isn’t top-down; it persists because people find it expressive, adaptable, and useful in forging connections.
• OK highlights the interplay of creativity, technology, and human need for community:

  “It gained momentum the way all other words gain momentum. People used it between each other—they were creative together...” (McSweeney, 36:19)

Author’s Next Projects

[37:27–39:02]

• Two new books in progress:
  • A history of the word “data,” from ancient philosophy to modern “data culture.”
  • A children’s book about a bird learning its song, inspired by linguistics and animal language.

    “[One book] walks us through, from its origins, the points where [data’s] meaning kept shifting to get us to this moment today...” (McSweeney, 38:01)

Memorable Quotes

• “Humans are incredibly creative. And seeing that come to life through all of these words led me to understanding OK...”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [02:59]

• “It was this moment where people were, like, playing with language. It was so rampant that people would go to the bar and order, like, WB for wine bitters…”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [06:20]

• “Louisa May Alcott like succeeded [in publishing 'OK'] and then it still got taken out.”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [14:34]

• “OK is perfect for a static, crackly telephone line... it's very distinct sonority, right?”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [18:32]

• “OK is known everywhere in the world... it was a lightweight and ephemeral way to signal alignment with American ideals.”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [21:32]

• “That's the thing that defines our modern moment... we are trying to communicate who I am through the way that I write things and the way that I spell things.”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [27:08]

• “OK doesn't even exist without technology because writing is...one of the earliest communication technologies humans have invented.”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [33:01]

• “OK didn't gain momentum because it was this top-down thing. It gained momentum the way all other words gain momentum. People used it between each other and they were creative together…”
  — Dr. Michelle McSweeney [36:19]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Author Introduction / Motivation: 01:31–04:04
• Origin Story: 04:04–08:32
• Political Spread: 08:32–11:21
• Books vs. Newspapers: 11:21–15:15
• Telegraph, Rail & Telephone: 15:33–20:37
• Going Global: 20:37–23:08
• Digital Use / Online Communities: 24:05–29:49
• Gesture & Meaning Shifts: 29:49–31:42
• OK as Written Technology: 31:42–35:23
• Human Connection Reflection: 35:23–37:00
• Future Projects: 37:27–39:02

This episode is a lively, insightful exploration of one little word—its journey through print, speech, technology, and across the globe—and how it serves as a lens onto the inherently creative and connective nature of human language.