"OK" Is OK: Language Facts & Figures

About once a month, we offer a round-up of facts, figures, and (let's face it) opinions in response to some of the questions we receive about the English language. (Previous round-ups appear in our Grammar & Composition Forum.) Here's the latest installment.

• What is the longest one-syllable word in English?
  Although the complete Oxford English Dictionary cites a single appearance of the ten-letter word scraunched (from a 1620 translation of Don Quixote), there are several monosyllabic nine-letter words, with stretched, scratched, and screeched among them.


• Is it okay to spell "okay" as "OK"?
  Not only is "OK" OK, but the editors of the Associated Press Stylebook make it a rule: "Do not use okay." Most dictionaries identify "okay" as an acceptable variant of "OK" (or of "O.K."). The editors of most grammar handbooks (such as The Scribner Handbook for Writers) turn up their noses at any version of the word, considering it "not suitable for formal writing." As far as we're concerned, "OK" is all right (but never alright).


• What comes after "once, twice, thrice"?
  Nothing. According to the editors at Oxford Dictionaries, these "are the only words of their type, and no further terms in the series have ever existed."


• What is the longest Internet domain name in the world?
  According to the residents of a certain Welsh village, "the longest valid domain name" is www.llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogochuchaf.com. We happen to prefer the shorter version: "publicity stunt."


• True or false? Was Plato (c.428-c.347 BCE) opposed to writing on the grounds that this new-fangled technology would encourage laziness and forgetfulness?
  True. In Plato's Phaedrus, the character of Socrates criticizes reading and writing as poor substitutes for dialogue and debate. "You have invented an elixir not of memory," he says, "but of reminding; and you offer your pupils the appearance of wisdom, not true wisdom." (We should note for the record that Plato himself was one of the most prolific writers in ancient Greece.)

Whom do we consult for answers to questions about grammar, composition, and the English language? You'll find our favorite resources listed here:

• Q & A Sites on Grammar and Usage
• Reference Works for Writers

And you'll find past installments of Language Facts & Figures in our Grammar & Composition Forum.

Are there any questions? If so, please send them our way.