Rod Feller, age 12, of Tacoma, Wash., for his question:

WHERE DID THE TERM O.K. ORIGINATE?

"O.K." or "okay" is possibly the most widely used American term. Everybody uses it, from astronauts to aquanauts, from ditch diggers to Presidents. Its origin has been debated over the years, but most word experts accept the explanation which Allen Walker Read proposed in 1941. Read claimed that the first printed example of the term in the United States was as part of the name of "The Democratic O.K. Club," an association of supporters of Martin Van Buren, who was running for a second term as President.

It seems Van Buren was from Old Kinderhook, a village in the state of New York, and had been known throughout his political career as the "Sage of Kinderhook" by his followers.

Although Read's explanation is generally accepted, there are still many others which are circulated, some appearing very logical. One thing for sure, wherever the term had its beginnings, it's here to stay.