Can you use a yo-yo, and how did this odd name originate?

I actually can use a yo-yo but not for a very long time as eventually it stops.

It is quite fun though I find it gets a bit monotonous after a while.

And it sure is a strange word -I wonder who invented it.

by Finy

I can rull it up and down, but I can't do any tricks with it. Although I don't know exactly how the name came about, I expect the repetition of 'yo' refers it going down and then up again.

by Bryony Harrison

I can use a yo yo...and....I can juggle...what a clever girl I am!
No idea where the name came from, interesting question. It is a very apt name Ithink

by Fran

I can but have no idea where the word comes from - Good question.

by Sandy Ludinski

I love Yo Yo's,though I am not brilliant with them! They seem to come and go in almost every generation,and have b een around for literally thousands of years,dating further back iin time than the Ancient Greek period!! Yo-Yo is apparently a relatively modern name! It had many names in French,including Bandalore and Jou Jou.I would think the common name Yo Yo ,coined in the 20'S in America,comes from Jou Jou which means Little Toy!!

by Jules

I used to be really good with a yo-yo, I doubt I could even walk the dog now.

by DamienR

I can only go up and down - I was never able to do any tricks.

by AJ

I used to be able to yo-yo when I was a child, but I haven't done so in years.

by Vee

I'm sure I heard somewhere that at one stage it was even used as a weapon.
For those really interested, here is a link from Wikipedia-
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yo-yo

by deyan

Yes, can even 'walk the dog'! Would have to 'Google' to check name origin......

by donjo

The Chinese and the Greeks claim it . . . but it was also a weapon. Nasty. I could do a couple of tricks and always had a yoyo. I would probably damage myself now. Haha.

by Rice

Yes I did use 1, when I was a teen or some time, but was no good at it the last time I tried. I certainly couldn't do any tricks with it.

by Miro