O.K. IN HISTORY
[To the Editor of THE SPECTATOR.] SIR,—In your issue of January 7th Mr. Hayward enquires when it was " first O.K." to walk in the Zoo on Sunday. It was certainly the fashion in the 187o's. As a child I remember the popular song but can recall only the refrain :
" A walking in the Zoo, a walking in the Zoo.
The pretty gals and handsome pals a walking in the Zoo."
As only Fellows and their friends are admitted on Sundays, Sunday was the swagger day.
I do not remember the expression " O.K." in the song. But it certainly occurred in Punch earlier than 1900. Looking through a number of back volumes of Punch some time ago I was surprised to find it in one of the letters in Verse from ,Arry,,
These letters appeared in the 'eighties and 'nineties so far as I remember. I have not the reference at hand. 'Arry describes his exploits on various occasions and calls a seaside trip O.K.
The 'Arry letters—the 'Arry of Du Maurier's day—are of interest as describing a type now passed away—the water- squirting, hat-exchanging " ladies' tormentor " 'Arry of 'Ampstead 'Eath, and the pest of holiday resorts. And with him has gone 'Arriet of the hostrich feathers.
Did 'Arry before he passed originate the expression O.K. ? If so let us rejoice that he departed hefore further defiling the
English language.—Yours, &c., M. E. DURHAM.
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