Published on: 2026-08-14
Obscure Linguistics and Word Origins
Which common English word was originally coined as a prank by a newspaper editor in the 1830s?
Correct
The term O.K. popped into existence in 1839 as a joke abbreviation for oll korrect, a silly intentional misspelling of all correct that was trendy among Boston intellectuals at the time. Cool was a term used for temperature long before it became slang for awesome, so it definitely did not start as a prank. Gossip has roots in the Old English term godsibb, referring to a godparent or close friend, which is much older and way less mischievous. Snob actually traces back to shoemakers or university slang in the 18th century, meaning it was already hanging around long before the 1830s joke craze.