Dictionary

m'kay en · INTJ

Pronunciation

• [ŋ̍(ː)ˈkeɪ̯] (US)
• /m(ː)ˈkeɪ/ (US)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Nasalized variant of okay. Perhaps popularized by Mr. Mackey's catchphrase in South Park. Earlier use is apparently chiefly in linguistic transcriptions of speech.

Meanings

1. (informal) Okay—an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense. ▸ spelling mkay
   • In these tutoring sessions we have found that, when the tutor agrees with the student’s displayed understanding, her signal of confirmation comes quickly after the student’s turn, as in: S. Mkay. hh. And I know it’s negative, just to follow your thought process, because I know that the sine is positive. 1991, Barbara A. Fox, “Cognitive and Interactional Aspects of Correction in Tutoring,” in Teaching Knowledge and Intelligent Tutoring, Peter Goodyear ed. http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=I36Zzj7B7pgC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&sig=ZZYBrtCu62xusRHVxW0AAjsisuQ
   • 1995, Charles Conrad and Lucinda Sinclair-James, “Institutional Pressures, Cultural Constraints, and Communication in Community Mediation Organizations,” in Conflict and Organizations, Anne Maydan Nicotera ed. M1: Mkay. Let me point us back to. This is related to um what we were talking about and how you’re going to um sort of report what happened here tonight.
   • … the director would go on only when both were satisfied the matcher had understood, as here: D. The long view of the quad uh walkway M. those M. ┌ numbers right? D. └ is number 5 M. Mkay D. Yeah with the numbers on the bottom. 1993, Herbert H Clark, Arenas of Language Use http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=iRlL1nmsB-4C&pg=PA284&lpg=PA284&sig=MzayaXWqjqReOg6XyNY2ES7Ycn4
   • That has nothing to do with star-power crap and everything to do with keeping it real, mkay? 2004, Deanna Kizis, How to Meet Cute Boys http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=QAu5foUdyEkC&pg=PA80&lpg=PA80&sig=oNcYAAFSGryL3NbegfxWLHkDy8M
   • My bold, Crocodile Hunter “Absolutely” withered into “mkay” with the end of the word lilted up like a desperate question. 2004, Gordon Atkinson, RealLivePreacher.com http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=txlWQXzOIukC&pg=PA34&lpg=PA34&sig=xzYsGkjZNOFHeKU7vnfoysmeOH0
2. (informal) Okay—an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense. ▸ spelling mmkay
   • I looked back to him...mmkay brown hair dark eyes...high cheek bones that lucky monkey I wonder if he has some native American. 2005, Catherine Delaney, The Rosameorns (dead link)
   • She was sitting perched on her desk, in that nonchalant, ‘mmkay?’ way teachers do when they’re trying to pretend they’re down with the kids. 2005, Jenny Colgan, Boy I Loved Before (dead link)
   • C: I want you to re:st (.) re:st (.) as much as you can do (.) is just re:st (.) hhh when >you go< home (.) >you tell< your husband you make dinner honey (.) hhh you take care of me (.) . . . I need >to set< down (.) I need >to rest< (.) P: mmkay (.) C: and >get down< (.) watch your sodium (.) the salt= 1997: Christina S. Beck, Partnership for Health (dead link)
   • well i used to have some skilled sticky fingers of my own back in the day so i know a shoplifted dress when i see one mmkay. 2004, Abbe Diaz, PX This (dead link)
3. (informal) Okay—an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense. ▸ spelling mmmkay
   • 2004, Stephanie Lehmann, Are You in the Mood http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=ECabx9_RoXAC&pg=PA49&lpg=PA49&sig=pW9_uvNdBOBHc__4hwhYzAfhRWs He told her she could sleep in if she liked. “Mmmkay,” she said without opening her eyes, and he kissed her good-bye.
   • 1999, “It's Easy, MMMKay.” [title, in soundtrack] South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut
   • Let’s get all this straight. He took me to a place he hates to see if I like it. Mmmkay. 2004, Victoria Schmitz, If It’s Not One Thing It’s the Other http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=lFcLqmFytiMC&pg=PA27&lpg=PA27&sig=H_Qm7nTzqEzS470vfocV9c74reI
4. (informal) Okay—an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense. ▸ spelling m’kay
   • I’ll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell anybody, not even the missus, m’kay? 1999, Tom Bradley, Black Class Cur http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=Fdo3ky2yq-sC&pg=PA179&lpg=PA179&sig=PGLARdInWR86z9kI3MQaQKe5G9s
   • But do keep in mind that this film [viz. South Park] is not for the faint of heart, and it ain’t for kids, m’kay? 2003, Bill Hunt and Todd Doogan, The Digital Bits: Insider’s Guide to DVD http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=ZPvgA1QU1BMC&pg=PA294&lpg=PA294&sig=hJv3zSuA9sriREBxGXxi7ZevcuQ
5. (informal) Okay—an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense. ▸ spelling mm-kay
   • She didn’t ask what that was supposed to mean, but tallied a while on her fingertips and obliged him. “Mm-kay, bye.” 2000, Tom Bradley, Hustling the East http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=GYnGE49yhPsC&pg=PA236&lpg=PA236&sig=JIS7zjR3YOAzjIW-jrKuyOrxpQM
   • 2005, Bill Eisele, Scrub Match http://print.google.com/print?hl=en&id=7M31jHxhJawC&pg=PA58&lpg=PA58&sig=no7YkuHLZazkBAuC0ztcd6i9AJI “All I’m saying,” the Asian man said, “is it’s about time she got a whiff of her own breath. Mm-kay?”
6. (informal) Okay—an expression of acknowledgment or affirmation, now sometimes used in an ironic or condescending sense. ▸ spelling mmm-kay
   • “Well, I’m going to take a picture of your arm and then this nice doctor is going to fix it for you, okay?” “Mmm-kay.” 2005, Michael Collins, Hot Lights, Cold Steel:

Forms

Relateds

m'yes

Translations (3)

fr m’kay ((informal) okay) · fr m’voyez ((informal) okay) · pl kej ((informal) okay)

wikipedia: South Park