simmo
Senior Jockey
Ah, so it's a form of snobbery then. I understand now. B)
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Ergo, Per Se Et Al
- Thread starter Colin Phillips
- Start date
Most of us use 'okay' on here. The origin seems a bit fuzzy, though: I read a long time ago that it was the rallying cry of one of the big American Indian chiefs. He would run his pony along the line of massed braves, encouraging them and yelling something like "O-kah-hay" (meaning 'we're ready to go') before they launched against the US cavalry. Maybe someone knows different?
Having worked for Americans and American-educated people for 20 years, I've got (or gotten) used to American spelling and will annoy Brian by using a 'zee' instead of an 's', as in 'realize', 'idealize', but I draw the line at 'burglarize'! But there's a difference between mere idiomatic American usage, and using American spelling and sentence construction. When I first worked for Americans, they asked why we English finish so many sentences with the interrogative, don't we? Which is a bit rich coming from a country where it's now an annoying fashion to end with just such an intonation? :teeth:
Having worked for Americans and American-educated people for 20 years, I've got (or gotten) used to American spelling and will annoy Brian by using a 'zee' instead of an 's', as in 'realize', 'idealize', but I draw the line at 'burglarize'! But there's a difference between mere idiomatic American usage, and using American spelling and sentence construction. When I first worked for Americans, they asked why we English finish so many sentences with the interrogative, don't we? Which is a bit rich coming from a country where it's now an annoying fashion to end with just such an intonation? :teeth:
BrianH
Dormant account
They do indeed. The historical record shows that "OK" appeared as an abbreviation for oll korrect (a consciously humurous misspelling of "all correct") in Boston newspapers in 1839, and was reinterpreted as "Old Kinderhook" (nickname of Martin Van Buren) in the 1840 United States presidential election.
Desert Orchid
Senior Jockey
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2005
- Messages
- 26,671
I'd understood it came from American war communication codes (for 'oll korrect') but Brian's version predates it and is more likely to be korrect.
simmo
Senior Jockey
Speaking of American war communication, what message was sent by the US commander in charge of the operation to capture the Pacific atoll of Makin upon successful completion of the task?
BrianH
Dormant account
He sent "Makin taken". Concise but not quite as imaginative as that sent by General Sir Charles James Napier, commander of the Indian army within the Bombay region, who was in charge of the subjugation of the province of Sindh where the Amirs were rebelling against British rule. After the battles of Meanee and Hyderabad and the annexation of the province he is said to have sent the following message to high command: "Peccavi".
As the forum appears to be full of students of Latin there may be no need for a translation, but as those who were, or even are, regulars in the confessional will know "peccavi" means "I have sinned".
As the forum appears to be full of students of Latin there may be no need for a translation, but as those who were, or even are, regulars in the confessional will know "peccavi" means "I have sinned".
simmo
Senior Jockey
Very good. I like that one and may well use it in future.
