Okie dokey, for me, brings to mind a creepy Hannibal Lecter. Ormaybe you remember that cute little Vietnamese kid from Indiana
Jones, called Short Round? The words "okie dokey" first appeared
around 1930 as a playful form of "okay" or "O.K.". And now we
even hear the combined form, "okiedok". But how in the world did
the original "O.K." get started? I am sooo glad you asked! It started
way back in the Presidential election of 1840, when the Democratic
candidate, Martin Van Buren, was nicknamed "The Wizard of
Kinderhook" after Old Kinderhook, the Hudson Valley village where
he was born. One of his support groups called themselves "The
Democratic O.K. Club". Other Van Buren supporters picked up
"O.K." as a slogan. The phrase caught on like wildfire and soon
established itself as a general term for "all right", just like their
opinion of the candidate. So, there you have it.
I do wish we could chat longer, but I'm having an
old friend for dinner. Bye. --Hannibal Lecter
Are you serving a nice Chianti?
ReplyDelete:-Daryl
Great picture of Sir Anthony!..You're absolutely right. Hearing that makes me think of Hannibal Lector, too..Oh gosh, that's creepy and makes me want to watch "Silence of the Lambs!"
ReplyDeleteLOL--what a fabulous photo of Anthony Hopkins! And wasn't he just brilliant in Silence of the Lambs? I can hear him now--okey dokey... I was not familiar with those origins for OK--very interesting!
ReplyDeleteI'm OK, You're OK. The title of a pop-culture book from the late 60's. It was soon determined that ain't none of us truly OK. OK?
ReplyDeleteGosh I always say that, well sort of "Okey Dokey Pig in a Pokey" to be precise thu-thu-thuuu!!!!!
ReplyDeleteOr how about, "Okie Dokey, Hokey Pokey"? I can't believe I actually say this.
ReplyDeleteSend me a couple dozen of the berry muffins!!!!!! OK? Okie Dokie!
ReplyDeleteWillow...I have used that off and on my whole life...I love this weekly word... :)
ReplyDeleteWhen I first saw Anthony Hopkins I thought your post about him...We just watched Remains Of The Day last night..he is such a wonderful actor...
DeeDee, doesn't he do a fantastic job in "The Remains of the Day"? I love this movie and have a copy in my collection, that I watch quite often. WT and I are always quoting lines from this movie to each other!
ReplyDeleteStrider, two dozen? Okiedok.
ReplyDeleteOKAY, What a totally creepy quote!!!!!
ReplyDeleteDon't you just love the English language!!! So flexible and alive and wonderful!
That's one of my least favorite word/phrase but Hannibal Lechter's statement is very clever and makes me shudder.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! You always find the most fascinating words. How do you select them? I love Anthony Hopkins in Howard's End. I've been trying to get hold of that on dvd for a while now. Remains of the Day is brilliant too. What's your favourite of his roles - not Hannibal, surely? C.S. Lewis? Did you ever see him as Hitler in The Bunker? Quite amazing.
ReplyDeleteOh, I love the movie The Edge too - it's gorgeous to look at, but the story itself is captivating.
Kat
Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lector was so chilling. I loved that creepy movie. It's beyond dark, but deep. O.K.?
ReplyDeleteKat, I adore Sir Anthony in just about anything. He's brilliant. I don't think I have a favorite. Have you seen him in the Shakespeare roles of "Othello" and "Titus"? And don't forget him playing Picasso, Nixon and John Quincy Adams. Is there any role he doesn't do well?
ReplyDeleteDon't you love that opening scene in "Howard's End" where Vanessa Redgrave is walking throught the tall grass, her elegant dress swishing as she walks, looking through the evening air into the lit windows of her house? Sigh.
And then there is the inimitable Flanders of The Simpsons with his "Okely dokely neighbourino!"
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I did wonder. As for old Anthony Hopkins....looks dishy. No liver with my fava beans thanks.
ReplyDeleteBPG, WT loves the Simpsons! The guys got him the movie for Christmas and I think he has it memorized!
ReplyDeleteRobyn, okie dokey, just the fava beans and Chianti for you then?
That's a wonderful post.
ReplyDeleteOK?
What would the English language be without OK? or is it okay? It can mean so many things - Ok? OK!! OK..... A question, a command, a sigh. Have fun at the dinner. Hope the friend doesn't give you indigestion! Love Eleanor
ReplyDeleteWhat would the English language be without OK? or is it okay? It can mean so many things - Ok? OK!! OK..... A question, a command, a sigh. Have fun at the dinner. Hope the friend doesn't give you indigestion! Love Eleanor
ReplyDeleteI watched the movie "Shadowlands" last night (and cried my eyes out), and wouldn't have recognized Anthony Hopkins in the picture here! He has that certain something, doesn't he?
ReplyDeleteI fell in love with him all over again, watching him play CS Lewis.
P.S.:
Every time I come over here, through your profile, I notice another favorite of mine on your lists. This time it was Lisbeth Zwerger! :-)
I am not surprised that you have caught on to Eugenio Montale. Do you speak Italian? His play with words in his language is magical, the English translations are good, though.
Truly creepy, but one of the best movies...ever.
ReplyDeleteSo interesting about the origins of OK.
Merisi, I cry every time I watch "Shadowlands". Only Anthony Hopkins can be both the wonderful C.S. Lewis and a creepy Hannibal Lecter!
ReplyDeleteFunny you should mention Lisbeth Zwerger! I am planning to post on her soon. :)
Has nobody remembered the teacher Mr. Garrison, from South Park, with his "n'kay??".I'm sure Flanders from the Simpsons says to his kids "Okely Dokely you're not to watch this depravity".I think its very funny in its own sick way, but then that's just me,n'kay?
ReplyDeleteMmmm Tony Hopkins is a dear delight and splendid actor too. I much prefer him to Sir Larry who seems stilted in comparison. Rather method I find. Thanks for putting us all straight on OK, O.K.!
ReplyDeleteI missed you on my Graveyard blog or were you giving me the cold shoulder?
Oh yes, Titus! I have that on dvd - it's a really amazing film. That scene where the daughter has her hands cut off is particularly memorable for me. Hopkins is brilliant in that. We also loved him in Surviving Picasso.
ReplyDeleteI do love that scene in Howard's end, but I think my favourite ones feature Helena and the clerk? she falls in love with. I have got to get it!
I've seen him as Nixon and who was he in Amistad? Also - Captain Bligh was a good one. So many roles. What's his next, I wonder?
Kat
Kat, he was a fabulous John Quincy Adams in "Amistad". Oh, yes, I forgot that he was also Captain Bligh...and very much his own style in this role...a kinder and gentler Captain Bligh.
ReplyDeleteAnd can you believe that "Surviving Picasso" has not be released in DVD format?! Go figure.
Arija, how could I have missed one of your wonderful posts? Graveyards? That is right up my alley...I'll be right over...
ReplyDeleteAre you having any fa-fa-fava beans?
ReplyDeleteIt's odd (as in nice 'odd')to read about the origin of a word we use so often. The other term you referred to at the beginning of the post, okie-dok, I came across it the first time many years ago when I was still a language student. I rememeber it being spelled and pronounced okey-dokey, but maybe that's just a variant of the same term.
English is a much looser language than Spanish and French are. Much more dynamic and less committed to rules (especially when it comes to verbalising).
Lovely weekly word. I hope you're OK.
Greetings from London.
no kidding!! i love bits of info like that! great post willow!!
ReplyDeleteOne day, I'm sure it shall be released - it's a great cast too.
ReplyDeleteKat
Short-round lol, now he was a cutie with those bricks tied to his shoes.
ReplyDeleteGreat post telling me something I never knew!
I thought I knew this one, but was completely wrong. I always thought that O.K. originated from the name of an Indian chief. Hmmmm...boy was I confused! Very interesting, Willow! Okie Dokie...off to read more entries I've missed...
ReplyDeleteBetsy, maybe you were thinking of the Okefenokee...that's an Indian word! Okey-fenokee?! Okey dokey.
ReplyDeleteI shall never watch Hannibal! I love fave too much to spoil my passion for them (peeled right at the table, eaten out of hand, with fresh pecorino romano, and a glass of Ciro' rosso! Pizza bianca with rosemary, if I am very hungry, tastes good with it too. ;-)
ReplyDeleteWillow,
I fell in love with Lisbeth Zwerger many years ago, and my children share my admiration for her work. I love the sense of humor she demonstrates in her illustrations, among other things. I suppose you know that she is from Vienna?
I wish you a wonderful weekend!
Merisi, I must work up a little post on Zwerger this week! I discovered her years ago, reading her books to my children, and absolutely love her, too. Charming, charming illustrator and lovely person, too, I'm sure!
ReplyDeletewho knew? i say okie dokie all the time. i think my co-workers secretly think i'm a dork but it may be because i say cool beans as well. smile!
ReplyDeleteHi WIllow-
ReplyDeleteIt's so cool to know where things we say everyday come from. Seems in the last few years more have revealed themselves than ever before. Watching geese, ducks and grackles eat bread that aI throw them made me realize where the phrase pecking order comes from. The big ones eat before the middle sized birds and they eat before the littlest...and if anyone tries to get around that, they get pecked, big time.
I also wrote about the sudden overuse of the word awesome just a few weeks ago. I have three blogs and would LOVE for you to visit. If you click on my name you'll find the three on my profile.... The one called "Looky Here" has that post on May 16th...
PS: I'd love to know how you get all these pictures on here. I can only manage ones I took myself.... I realize you must get some from the internet but do you scan in other things?
ReplyDelete