“Okey-dokey, artichokey” (“Okie-dokie, artichokie”)

“Okey-dokey” or “okie-dokie’ (an extension of “O.K.”) has been in use since the 1930s. “Okey-dokey, artichokey” (also “Okie-dokie, artichokie”) has been cited in print since at least 1988. Hillary Rodham Clinton—then first lady—made the term famous in the 1990s when she ended staff meetings with this folksy phrase.
 
“Okey-dokey, artichokey” has appeared in articles about artichokes, but the rhyming alone is responsible for “artichoke” being in the phrase. Another popular ending is “Okey-dokey, smokey.”
   
   
Wiktionary: okey dokey
Interjection
okey dokey
1. An exclamation of accordance; okay, OK.
 
Wikipedia: Artichoke
The Globe Artichoke (Cynara cardunculus) is a perennial thistle originating in southern Europe around the Mediterranean. It grows to 1.5-2 m tall, with arching, deeply lobed, silvery glaucous-green leaves 50–80 cm long. The flowers develop in a large head from an edible bud about 8–15 cm diameter with numerous triangular scales; the individual florets are purple. The edible portion of the buds consists primarily of the fleshy lower portions of the involucral bracts and the base, known as the “heart”; the mass of immature florets in the center of the bud is called the “choke”. These are inedible in older larger flowers.
 
(Historical Dictionary of American Slang)
okey-dokey interj. O.K. In recent use also (joc.) okie-dokie; okely-dokely; okey-dokey, artichokey. [The joc. okley-dokely has been widely popularied through association with the cartoon character Ned Flanders on the Fox-TV program The Simpsons.]
1932 American Speech 334: Okey-dokey—O.K.
1935 Odets Paradise Lost 226: Okey-dokey.
1936 in Esquire (Jan. 1937) 74: Hokie dokie, Paulie.
1940 Hartman & Butler Rd. to Singapore (film): “Okey-dokey. One for Monday.
1943 Yank (June 18) 9: Okey-dokey. 10 piasters.
1955 Nabakov Lolita 248: “Okey-dokey,” big Frank sang out.
1954-60 Dictionary of American Slang: Okle-dokle=O.K. Fairly common jocular use.
1964 A. W. Read, in American Speech XXXIX 96: Solid citiensabominated the form okie-dokie...Another stretch form was okle-dokle, memorialied in popular song of 1947…Ok’l Baby Dok’l I kelikel [sic] baby you [etc.].
1974 Angelou Gather Together 37: Okee dokee. See you then,
1983 Breathed Bloom County 76: Right! Check! Okey-dokey!
1990 Simpsons (Fox-TV) okely-dokely, neighbor! 
1992 L. Johnson My Posse 18: Okie dokie, artichokie.
1995 in Esquire (Jan. 1996) 50; According to The Washington Post, Hillary Clinton often ends conversations with staff members by saying, “Okey-dokey, artichokey.”
1995 Coen & Coen

(film): Okey-dokey. Thanks a bunch.
 
(Oxford English Dictionary)
okey-dokey, int. and adj.
colloq. (orig. U.S.).
[Reduplication (with variation of initial consonant and remodelling of ending after -Y suffix) of OK int.1]
 
A. int.  = OK int.1
1932 Amer. Speech 7 334 Okey-dokey, O.K.
1936 D. POWELL Turn, Magic Wheel I. 36 He saw that tiresome red-faced fellow.., the man who knew everybody and said ‘okie-dokie’ to everything.
1989 Funny Fortn. 7-20 Oct. 38 I’d like you two to amuse young Jamie! Okey-dokey, boss!
2000 M. BARROWCLIFFE Girlfriend 44 xx. 483 ‘Can you bear to be serious for a moment?’ ‘Okey-dokey,’ I said, like a New York Jewish comedian.
   
B. adj.  = OK adj. 1.
1936 N.Y. Times 25 June 23/5 He suffered no pain. He pranced around the deck occasionally, announcing that he was ‘okey dokey’.
1968 F. EXLEY Fan’s Notes (1970) v. 213 His secretary..informed me that her boss was a ‘genius’ and never offered explanations other than ‘This is terrible’ or ‘This is okie-dokie’.
1977 J. FLEMING Every Inch Lady I. i. 7 Light out, silence, everything okey dokey, she goes off to bed.
       
Newspapers.com
14 February 1982, Santa Cruz (CA) Sentinel, pg. 36, col. 2 classified ad:
JACK
BE MY VALENTINE ALWAYS
OKEY DOKEY
ARTICHOKIE?
LOVE YOU—
Carolyn
   
20 September 1987, San Francisco (CA) Chronicle, “Neurotics Clearinghouse” by Terry Johnston, Sunday Punch, pg. 2, col. 3:
“I’m OK, So Long as I Don’t Think About It” by Paula Popauf, Ed.D. In her latest book, Dr. Popauf expands on themes she introduced in her first two works, “It’s OK to Be OK” and “Okey Dokey, Artichokey.”
 
Google Books 
Becoming Teachers:
Preservice Teachers’ Understanding of School and Society
By David William Hursh
Published by University of Wisconsin—Madison
1988
Pg. 124:
He playfully closed one conversation with a student with “Okie, dokie, artichokie.”
 
Google Groups: rec.music.gdead
Newsgroups: rec.music.gdead
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Roger D Sorkin)
Date: 5 Jul 90 21:06:44 GMT
Local: Thurs, Jul 5 1990 3:06 pm
Subject: Cal Expo Tree Update
 
Okey dokey artichokey.Flybogger
       
Google Books
Cat’s Paw, Inc
By L. L. Thrasher
Published by Council Oak Books
1991
Pg. 406:
“Okeydokey, artichokey,” Phil said. 
   
Google Groups: soc.singles
Newsgroups: soc.singles
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (dmc)
Date: Mon, 25 Jan 1993 23:36:39 GMT
Local: Mon, Jan 25 1993 5:36 pm
Subject: Re: Favorite Groups
 
Tell you what Jeff—you flame the personals or whatever you see as potential bbq material—I’ll flame or not flame whatever I see fit, okie dokie artichokie? 
 
Google Groups: rec.music,makers.guitar.tablature
Newsgroups: rec.music.makers.guitar.tablature
From: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) (Carser)
Date: Fri, 18 Mar 1994 11:09:39 GMT
Local: Fri, Mar 18 1994 5:09 am
Subject: req:tool, mudhoney & therapy
 
i’m going home today for easter, so could you email any replies & while i’m home i’ll work out on paper what i’ve worked out of the following songs, & send it when i come back, okey dokey artichokey
   
New York (NY) Times
Liberties; Letters From the Edge
By MAUREEN DOWD
Published: January 25, 1996
Jealous of the attention the special prosecutor is getting by subpoenaing Hillary Rodham Clinton to testify before a Federal grand jury, Al D’Amato tries to grab back the spotlight by accepting Mrs. Clinton’s offer to answer questions from the Whitewater Committee in writing.
(...)
Q. Carolyn Huber, your friend and Chelsea’s trusted baby sitter, told the committee that she hasn’t spoken with you since Dec. 23. Not even a word on Christmas. This sudden silence disturbs me. Well?
 
A. Okey dokey, artichokey. The White House pastry chef gave me the secret to perfect S’Mores: You melt the Hershey bar a little before you put it on the marshmallows and graham crackers. Mmm, good. Bill loves them. He eats three at a time. Oh, and he says they’re great with tomato sauce!
   
Newsweek magaine (November 18, 1996)
Masters Of Disaster
The Scent Of Scandal: How The White House Shored Up Its Defenses Against A Sea Of Troubles And Managed To Blunt The Gop Candidate’s Re-Emergence As Citizen Dole
(...)
The steadfastness of Hillary’s staff was remarkable. ““Hillaryland,’’ the suite of offices occupied by the First Lady’s staff in the Old Executive Office Building, was about the only part of the White House that did not leak. Mrs. Clinton was able to command great affection and loyalty by playing the role of den mother to her mostly young assistants. She could be silly, wearing a Christmas necklace of flashing lights; or corny, exclaiming, ““Okey-dokey, artichokey,’’ or sometimes a little prudish, admonishing some of the women on her staff for wearing too short skirts.
   
Google Books
Okie-Dokie, Artichokie!
By Grace Lin
New York, NY: Viking
2003
 
Urban Dictionary
Okey Dokey Artichokey
A derivation of goodbye. Usually used after, “See you later alligator!”
CAUTION: Do not use with great frequency, for fear of looking like a big idiot.
X: I’m going to get the hell outta here.
Y: Okey dokey artichokey!
X: WHAT?
by Suave, Rico Dec 2, 2004