Why "all right" is alright

Reader Marguerite Durling recently saw an ad for a movie called The Kids are All Right, leading her to wonder if it was a "political movie or another instance of 'alternative' spelling?" The latter, Marguerite - and you can drop the quotation marks, young lady. While alright is a legitimate spelling - and the one used by The Who in their song - all right has long been regarded as the preferred option for formal writing. Here's what Merriam-Webster has to say about it. 

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