Dictionary:
yo-yo (yō'yō') 
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[Originally a trademark.]
How Products are Made:
How is a yo-yo made? |
Background
A yo-yo is a toy that has two disks connected together and sandwiching a long string. Traditionally made of wood, the disks are now commonly made of plastic. Attached to the center of the disks, the string winds, unwinds, and rewinds, while attached to a person's finger.
The specific origin of the yo-yo is uncertain. Early versions of the toy have been placed in China, Greece, and the Philippines. The National Museum of Athens houses several vases dating from around 500 B.C. depicting young Greeks playing with discs tethered to a cord. The word yo-yo means come come in the native Philippine language, Tagalog, and yo-yos have been hand-carved in that country for thousands of years.
History
The European introduction to the yo-yo occurred much more recently. The toy arrived in France during the eighteenth century, probably brought by missionaries returning from China, and it became a craze among the elite. The future king at that time, Louis XVII, was painted at age four with a yo-yo in hand. The French called the toy l'emigrette, after the aristocrats who popularized the toy and who were forced to emigrate to safer territories when the revolution began.
From France the yo-yo traveled to England where again it sparked a craze among the upper classes. The English dubbed the toy bandalore and also quiz, and illustrations from the period show soldiers, aristocrats, and even kings playing with it.
In 1927, a Filipino busboy named Pedro Flores began carving and selling a toy from his childhood to the guests at the Santa Monica, California, hotel where he worked. By 1929, the Flores Yo-yo Corporation had two factories in Los Angeles, California, feeding a craze for the toy that was sweeping across the United States. Flores' yo-yo utilized a unique innovation, the slip string. Previous designs had the string tied to the yo-yo's axle, and so the yo-yo would only go up and down. With Flores' design, a twisted length of string looped around the axle, allowing the yo-yo to spin or "sleep" so that various tricks could be performed.
Soon Flores' spinning top attracted the attention of marketing genius Donald Duncan. Duncan opened a Flores Yo-yo factory in Chicago, Illinois, and soon after, he bought the company. To promote his new purchase, Duncan staged yo-yo contests in cities across the country. The yo-yo became a nationwide craze; one 30-day campaign in 1930 sold three million of them.
A shortage of wood and labor put the yo-yo on hiatus during World War II. When production restarted in 1947, Duncan was not alone in the market. For years, the company was able to maintain an edge over the competition with a fierce defense of their trademark on the name yo-yo, forcing competitors to give their toys names such as return tops or Filipino twirlers.
In 1962, the yo-yo reached new heights in the United States, selling 45 million units in a country that only had 40 million children. Feeling that they were in a position to finally take back the market, Duncan sued its chief rival Royal Tops for trademark infringement. They lost. The court ruled that Duncan could not legally hold a trademark on the name yo-yo because it was, and always had been, simply the name of the toy, like kite or baseball. Three years later, deeply in debt from court battles, expensive television promotions, and the cost of retooling production lines from wooden to plastic yo-yos, Duncan was forced by its creditors into bankruptcy. In 1968, Flambeau Plastics Company bought the Duncan name and restarted production; the company still makes Duncan yo-yos today.
Raw Materials
The Greeks fashioned their discs from terra cotta. The French emigrettes were ivory and brass. Philippine yo-yos are carved from water buffalo horn or from wood. Until the switch to plastic in the late 1960s, American-made yo-yos were carved from solid blocks of maple. Most modern manufacturers of wooden yo-yos still use maple as it has the ideal density to give the yo-yo the proper weight at the required size. But 90% of the yo-yos sold today are plastic. Manufacturers use a plastic called K-resin. K-resin takes color well, is non-toxic, and is resilient enough to survive repeated abuse, but soft enough not to develop sharp edges.
The string is, and has been since 1927, pure Egyptian cotton. Recently, some manufacturers have introduced synthetic strings, but these do not maintain the proper friction against the inside of the yo-yo and against the axle and will not perform properly.
Traditionally, the axle was made out of the same wood as the sides of the yo-yo as the toy was carved out of a single, solid block. While wood provides ideal friction against the string, this friction eventually causes the string to cut the axle. And a broken axle cannot be repaired. So most modern axles are made from either aluminum or steel.
Design
A yo-yo functions on the two basic physical properties of friction and rotational inertia. Rotational inertia says that a spinning object will resist moving from the axis on which it is currently spinning, which is why a yo-yo will descend and return in a straight path rather than twisting and twirling on the end of the string. It also means that the object will continue spinning until some other force—usually friction—stops it. The friction in a yo-yo comes from the contact of the string with the inside surfaces of the two halves and from the contact of the string with the axle. Decreasing the diameter of the axle reduces friction, allowing the yo-yo to spin longer, giving more time to perform tricks. But if the axle is too small, the yo-yo will not return properly. The distance between the two halves requires similar considerations; widening the gap decreases the friction against the string and allows the yo-yo to spin longer, but that friction of the string against the sides as the yo-yo descends is part of what makes the yo-yo spin. The width of the string has the same effect; a thicker or thinner string is essentially the same as a wider or narrower gap and will produce the same results. In addition, yo-yo string is designed to have a natural twist so that it will not unwind and let loose the yo-yo. But if the string is given too much twist, the end loop will wrap too tightly around the axle and stop the yo-yo from sleeping.
Rotational inertia increases as weight is distributed to the outside rim of the spinning object. A bicycle wheel, for example, has a lot of rotational inertia so it spins for a long time and is very stable while it spins, ideal for a yo-yo. Unfortunately, a yo-yo the size of a bicycle wheel is difficult to hold in one hand and is almost impossible to throw, so most yo-yos are made considerably smaller.
Considering all of these variables, each yo-yo manufacturer arrives at a different conclusion about specifics, usually varying by a sixteenth of an inch (0.16 cm) in any dimension and a sixteenth of an ounce (1.75 g) in overall weight. But they all end with the same basic conclusion, a yo-yo that weighs about one and three-quarters ounces (49 g) and is about two and five-eighths inches (6.67 cm) in diameter.
The Manufacturing
Process
The first yo-yos manufactured in the United States were carved out of solid blocks of maple. This was a time-intensive but straight forward process. Lumber was first dried in huge kilns. This step is critical in the making of a wooden yo-yo because wood warps and shrinks as it dries, which is something that should happen before it is carved into the specific, balanced shape of a yo-yo. Once dried, the lumber was cut down to size. It was then put on a lathe and, using a master pattern to ensure the correct dimensions, it was shaved with a variety of chisels into a yo-yo. The yo-yo was either stained with wood stain or painted, and then it was finished with clear lacquer. Today, most manufacturers of wooden yo-yos still use this process except that very few make solid yo-yos anymore. Most drill into the wooden halves and connect them with a steel axle. However the majority of yo-yos made today are of plastic. That process has nine steps.
Shells and discs
Axles
Assembly
Packaging
The Future
The foremost modern advancement to yo-yo design was Pedro Flores' creation of the slip string. Some would argue that the advent of durable metal axles was an advancement. Others say that only wooden axles offer the proper friction to make a truly playable yo-yo. San Francisco yo-yo entrepreneur Tom Kuhn has invented a system that addresses both durability and spin. His yo-yos have a replaceable wooden sleeve that fits over a steel axle. His latest creation replaces the fixed axle altogether. It uses the same sealed bearing on which computer disk drives spin and is said to sleep 10 times longer than a conventional axle. But the basic design of yo-yos is the same as it has always been. And barring some radical change in the laws of physics, that design will never change.
Where to Learn More
Books
Cassidy, John. The Klutz Yo-yo Book. Klutz Press, 1987.
Malko, George. The One and Only Yo-yo Book. Avon Books, 1978.
Zeiger, Helane. World on a String. TK Yo-yos, Ltd., 1989.
Periodicals
Crump, Stuart, ed. Yo-yo Times. Creative Communications, Inc.
Kowalick, Vince. "Yo-yo Entrepreneur Had to Pull Some Strings." Los Angeles Times, May 23, 1994, pg. 5.
Other
"SoCool…Sonoma County ONLINE…Just Say Yo." http://www.socool.com/socool (1/29/97).
"The American Yo-yo Association Home Page." http://www.pd.net/yoyo (1/29/97).
[Article by: Michael Cavette]
Investment Dictionary:
Yo-Yo |
Slang for a very volatile market.
Investopedia Says:
Basically, a yo-yo market moves up and down like its toy namesake.
Related Links:
Check out how the assumptions of theoretical risk models compare to actual market performance. The Uses And Limits Of Volatility
Make sure you know the difference between a change in market outlook and short-term recovery. The Dead Cat Bounce: A Bear In Bull's Clothing?
Wikipedia:
Yo-yo |
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This article is written like an advertisement. Please help rewrite this article from a neutral point of view. For blatant advertising that would require a fundamental rewrite to become encyclopedic, use {{db-spam}} to mark for speedy deletion. (July 2009) |
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This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (January 2008) |
| Yo-yo | |
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| Availability | 500BC— |
The yo-yo is a toy consisting of two equally sized but not specifically equally weighted pieces of plastic, wood, or metal, connected with an axle, with a string looped around the axle. It is played by inserting the end of the middle finger into a slip knot made from the top loop at the end of the string, winding the string around the axle and throwing the yo-yo down so that it unwinds the string, until it travels to the end of the string, jerking it, and as it returns to the hand, grabbing it and throwing it down again. Many tricks exist, most based on the basic sleeper trick.[1] First made popular in the 1920s, yo-yoing is still very much enjoyed by both children and adults.
English historical names for the yo-yo include bandalore (from French) and quiz. French historical terms include bandalore, incroyable, de Coblenz, emigrette, and joujou de Normandie (joujou meaning little toy).[2]
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Contents
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The earliest surviving yo-yo dates to 500 BC and was made using terra cotta skin disks. A Greek vase from this period shows a boy playing yo-yo.[3][4] Greek records from the period describe toys made out of wood, metal, or painted terra cotta (clay). The terra cotta disks were used to ceremonially offer the toys of youth to certain gods when a child came of age—discs of other materials were used for actual play. Philippine historical records indicate that 16th century hunters hiding in trees used a rock tied to a cord up to 20 feet in length to throw at wild animals beneath them—the cord enabling retrieval of the rock after missed attempts.[5]
Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary states that the word "yo-yo" probably derives from the northern Philippine Ilokano language word "yóyo".
Many other sources including Panati's Extraordinary Origins of Everyday Things say that "yo-yo" was a Tagalog word supposedly meaning "come-come" or "return".[6] It is sometimes asserted that the yo-yo was a weapon in the Philippines.[7] Others assert this is an urban legend and that stories about how the yo-yo was a Filipino weapon did not originate in the Philippines.[8] Lucky Meisenheimer, author of "Lucky's Collectors Guide to 20th Century Yo-Yos - History and Values", characterizes this as popular but fabricated.[9] The allegation was nevertheless used in a Diet Mountain Dew ad from 2008 as part of the drink's "Surprising Facts" ad campaign.[10][not in citation given]
It is also possible - if not probable - that the term comes from the French joujou.
In the Filipino design, one continuous piece of string, double the desired length, is twisted around itself to produce a loop at one end which is fitted around the axle. Also termed a looped slip-string, this seemingly minor modification allows for a far greater variety and sophistication of motion, thanks to increased stability and suspension of movement during free spin.
The principal distinction between the Filipino design and more primitive yo-yos is in the way the yo-yo is strung. In older (and some remaining inexpensive) yo-yo designs, the string is tied to the axle using a knot. With this technique, the yo-yo just goes back-and-forth; it returns easily, but it is impossible to make it sleep.
Surprisingly, this innovation in the string design is useful even for off-string yo-yo play, in which the yo-yo is not attached to the string at all. The looped winding ensures that the free end of the string has no bulges, splices, or other deformities, which can cause the string to jam uncontrollably in off-string play.
James L. Haven and Charles Hettrick of Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, received the first United States patent on "...an improved construction of the toy, commonly called a bandelore..." in 1866.[11]
However, the yo-yo would remain in relative obscurity until 1928 when a Filipino American named Pedro Flores opened the Yo-yo Manufacturing Company in Santa Barbara, California.[12] The business started with a dozen handmade toys; by November 1929, Flores was operating two additional factories in Los Angeles and Hollywood, which altogether employed 600 workers and produced 300,000 units daily.[12]
Shortly thereafter (ca. 1929), an entrepreneur named Donald Duncan recognized the potential of this new fad and purchased the Flores Yo-yo Corporation and all its assets, including the Flores name, which was transferred to the new company in 1932. Duncan's first yo-yo thereafter was the Duncan O-BOY. Duncan is reputed to have paid more than $250,000, a fortune by depression era standards. It turned out to be a sound investment, making many times this amount in the years to follow.
In 1946, the Duncan Toys Company opened a Yo-yo factory in Luck, Wisconsin, prompting the town to dub itself 'Yo-yo Capital of the World'. Ironically, the very sign erected by the town advertising that fact contributed to Duncan losing its trademark[citation needed].
Declining sales after the Second World War prompted Duncan to launch a comeback campaign for his trademarked "Yo-Yo" in 1962 with a series of television advertisements. The media blitz was met with unprecedented success; thanks in great part to the introduction of the Duncan Butterfly, the yo-yo was more accessible to the beginner than ever.
This success would be short-lived, however, and in a landmark trademark case in 1965, a federal court's appeals ruled in favor of the Royal Tops Company, determining that yo-yo had become a part of common speech and that Duncan no longer had exclusive rights to the term. As a result of the expenses incurred by this legal battle as well as other financial pressures, the Duncan family sold the company name and associated trademarks in 1968 to Flambeau, Inc, who had manufactured Duncan's plastic models since 1955. As of 2010[update], Flambeau Plastics continues to run the company.
The 1970s saw a number of innovations in yo-yo technology, primarily dealing with the connection between the string and the axle. In 1978, dentist and yo-yo celebrity Tom Kuhn patented the “No Jive 3-in-1” yo-yo, creating the world's first "take-apart" yo-yo, which enabled yo-yo players to change the axle.
Soon afterward in 1980, Michael Caffrey patented what would later become the Yomega Brain, a yo-yo with a centrifugal clutch transaxle. Designed with a free-spinning plastic sleeve linkage, "The Brain" could spin much longer than previous fixed-axle designs.[13] In addition, the axle was "clutched" with spring-loaded weights which would pull away from the axle at higher speeds and grab again at lower speeds. The result is an automatic return of the yo-yo when speed drops below a given threshold.
Swedish bearing company SKF briefly manufactured novelty yo-yos with ball bearings in the 1970s.
In all transaxle yo-yos, ball bearings significantly reduce friction when the yo-yo is spinning, enabling longer and more complex tricks. Subsequent yo-yoers used this ability to their advantage, creating new tricks that had not been possible with fixed-axle designs.
The 1990s saw a resurgence of the popularity of the yo-yo and yo-yo culture.
Continued development of yo-yo technology is evident in the widespread sale of the Yomega Brain, based on Michael Caffrey's design, and the Playmaxx Pro-yo, a take-apart fixed axle yo-yo.
In 1990, Tom Kuhn released the SB-2 yo-yo (short for Silver Bullet 2), a high-performance ball bearing transaxle made with aluminum. This marked a major breakthrough for the modern yo-yo, as it was the first ball bearing yo-yo that actually worked. This ensured extremely long spin times and the ability to return as well. This yo-yo, (along with his many other accomplishments in the yo-yo world), eventually brought him the title "Father of the modern yo-yo," receiving the "Donald F. Duncan Family Award for Industry Excellence" in 1998. He was the first to receive this award.
In the late 1990s, Yomega partnered with HPK Marketing and helped fuel the yo-yo boom that spread across the globe. From this partnership, Team High Performance was born, a group of skilled demonstrators that toured the world. In this period, Yomegas were heavily marketed in Japan, where Bandai produced several yo-yos under the Yomega name which were sometimes different from those sold in the US.
At the turn of the century, 1999-2000, Yomega partnered with McDonald's and distributed a large number of Yomega X-Brain and Firestorm yo-yos at outlets throughout the US.
Another development around this time included the use of different materials such as billet machined Aluminum as seen in the ‘Dif-e-Yo’ Range.
A yo-yo competition normally consists of two parts, a set of compulsory tricks and a freestyle, where points are scored for each and the winner is the yo-yoer who scores the most points. Compulsory tricks (also known as a trick ladder) are a set of tricks that have been chosen before the contest, and the competitor must successfully complete each trick on their first or second attempt to score points. The freestyle is when the yo-ist performs a routine to their choice of music in front of a panel of judges, and is judged based on difficulty of the tricks, synchronization with the music and artistic performance.
The World Yo-Yo Contest is held every year in Orlando, Florida, USA, and is hosted by YoYoGuy.com during early August or late July. This contest takes the winners from national yo-yo contests around the world and pits them against each other. Japanese players in particular have risen to the top of the yo-yo world. The eleven-time, double-handed world champion Shinji Saito—considered the best in the world—is Japanese.[14] Countries such as the United States, Brazil, Japan and the UK hold competitions at the national and regional levels. In addition, national yo-yo contests, without regionals, are held every year by Mexico, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong, Korea, France, Germany, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Hungary, and Australia.
The International Yo-Yo Open is held every year in August at South Street Seaport in New York City. This contest is hosted by YoYoNation.com and aims to showcase the best yo-yo players in the world. In the inaugural 2007 contest, there were over 8,500 people in attendance and the event received almost 30 million media impressions.
The TV Times world yo-yo championship was held in the United Kingdom in 1974 with heats across the United Kingdom and a final in London in 1975, the championship was sponsored by the Louis Marx toy company with the 'Lumar' brand of yo-yo. The competition was judged by a celebrity panel in each city and also Lumar demonstrator and European yo-yo champion Don Robertson. The winner of the final was Simon Harris (intermediate category). The championship was not repeated.
Currently there are nine yo-yo divisions to compete in:
Competitors usually bring a number of yo-yos to the performance stage with them to allow for mid-routine replacements in the case of knots/jams (common with string tricks), string breakage (common with looping tricks), or drops (common with offstring tricks).
Keeping a yo-yo spinning while remaining at the end of its uncoiled string is known as sleeping. Sleeping is the basis for nearly all yo-yo tricks other than looping, the player first putting the yo-yo in a "sleep" before throwing the yo-yo around using its string. Most modern yo-yos have a transaxle or ball bearing to assist this, but if it is a fixed axle yo-yo, the tension must be loose enough to allow this. The two main ways to do this are (1), allow the yo-yo to sit at the bottom of the string to unwind, or (2) perform lariat or UFO to loosen the tension.
In competition, mastery of sleeping is the basis for the 1A division. Inexpensive yo-yos usually spin between 10–25 seconds, while expensive yo-yos can spin up to 10 or 11 minutes.
Looping is a yo-yo technique which emphasizes keeping the body of the yo-yo in constant motion, without sleeping.[15]
Yo-yos optimized for looping have weight concentrated in their centers so they may easily rotate about the string's axis without their mass contributing to a resistance due to a gyroscopic effect.
In yo-yo competitions, looping plays a strong role in the 2A division.
In the off-string technique, the yo-yo's string is not tied directly to the yo-yo's axle, and the yo-yo is usually launched into the air by performing a "forward pass" to be caught again on the string. However, some players can 'throw down' off-string yo-yos and catch it on the string just as it leaves the end of the string by pivoting the string around a finger as it unwinds, so that the yo-yo is caught on the string. This is exactly the opposite of a 'forward pass', but with the same result.
Yo-yos optimized for off-string tricks have flared designs, like the butterfly shape, which makes it easier to land on the string, and often have soft rubber rings on the edges, so minimum damage is inflicted on the yo-yo, the player, or anyone who happens to be standing nearby, should a trick go wrong.
Yo-yo competitions have the 4A division for off-string tricks.
Offstring Tricks include: Main Pass, Flea Bounce, and eli hops
In freehand(5A) tricks, the yo-yo's string is not tied to the player's hand, instead ending in a counterweight. The counterweight is then thrown from hand to hand and used as an additional element in the trick.
Developed in 1999 by Steve Brown, as of 2008 freehand is considered to be the fastest-growing style of yo-yo play. Steve Brown was awarded a patent on his freehand yo-yo system, which was assigned to Flambeau Products (Duncan's parent company).
In yo-yo competitions, counterweight yo-yos are emphasized in the 5A division.
Yo-yo bodies come in a number of form factors or "silhouettes," each designed with specific advantages in mind. However, there are three popular configurations.
The Imperial shape is often considered the original yo-yo shape, and is very commonly recognized. It is sometimes called a sculpted design. The shape's design is helpful in performing looping tricks. It was first produced by a man named Pedro Flores who is also the first person to mass-produce yo-yo.[16] Duncan bought the rights to the design in 1929.
The modified shape is a very popular design for looping style tricks. This shape is also known as a flywheel or modern shape. It usually has a hollowed face (sometimes covered with paper or plastic) with extra material left in the rim. The modified shape yo-yo is also used for string tricks because of the long spin times due to its shape.
Debuting in 1958, the butterfly has a wider string gap to make it easier to catch the yo-yo body on the string. The butterfly looks a bit like the separated halves of a standard yo-yo that have been reconnected back-to-back. Although the butterfly shape is good for 'string tricks,' it is not good for 'looping' tricks, because the winged shape of the body does not allow it to easily flip while looping. This shape is similar to a small Diabolo, sometimes called a Chinese yo-yo.
Introduced to the "yo-yoing community" only within the past few years, many yo-yos are being produced with wide-gaps, H-shapes, and dimples. Wide-gap yo-yos are not exclusive to any one yo-yo manufacturer and as their name suggests, have a wider gap. The wide gap allows more layers of string to be stacked in the yo-yo, and tricks using string slack or lacerations. The drawback for this shape is that the yo-yo does not return to the player's hand unless bound through the use of a front or under mount. H-shaped yo-yos are much like the butterfly-shaped, but the center (toward the bearing/axle) is offset to a smaller diameter to add to circumferential weight and allow for easy "grinding" tricks. Utilizing the technology of a golf ball, dimples are found in Roo-Yo (Italian yo-yo manufacturer) yo-yos and reduce air friction.
There are, of course, many other shapes. Other less popular shapes are: Humphrey, Ball, Slimline, Russell Style (Bulge Face), Puck, Satellite, Coaster and Riveted Disk.[17]
Each silhouette may have more weight distributed at either the center of the yo-yo or the edge. More weight towards the rim will make the yo-yo more stable for string tricks; more weight towards the center will make the yo-yo easier to turn and therefore better for looping tricks.
Heavier yo-yos will have more angular momentum when spinning at a given speed, and thus will spin freely for a longer period.
Most modern yo-yos are made from a "take-apart" design, designed to be taken easily apart and reassembled by the player. This design was first created by Tom Kuhn. This enables the replacement of yo-yo components, including the string, renewable friction sources, or even trans-axle components.
In order to increase spin times, extra weight was added to the outermost portion of the yo-yo. The first to do this was Dale Oliver (Spintastics Skill Toys, Inc) with the addition of steel rings when he brought out the Tigershark yo-yo early in 1998.
Some take-apart designs allow the player to reconfigure the yo-yo's halves. In the Tom Kuhn No Jive 3-In-1, the halves may be attached in three different configurations, resulting in a traditional, butterfly, or "pagoda" silhouette. In the Yo-yo Factory FlyMaster, the body has two different "shells" to convert to and from an off-string yo-yo.
Another innovation to the yo-yo is the ability to adjust the gap between the two halves of the yo-yo, in order to increase or decrease response. In most designs, this is accomplished by twisting the yo-yo halves, but some designs (such as the Tom Kuhn Silver Bullet) can be disassembled for adjustment without twisting. This second option eliminates the possibility of the yo-yo coming out of adjustment during play.
The basic innovation since the 1990s is the transaxle, a system where the string is not directly connected to the axle that connects the two halves of the yo-yo.
With the innovation of the transaxle, the notion of a yo-yo's response has become important to players. The "response" is a qualitative estimate of how easily the yo-yo will exit a "sleep" and return to the hand of the player.
Side bearing caps are when bearings are added to the hub of a yo-yo and covered with some form of side cap to allow it to be held while it spins. With the side cap bearing you can hold the yo-yo in many different planes and perform different styles of tricks, that can't be perform with the conventional yo-yos. Side Bearing Caps are also commonly known as side bearings, bearing caps (Anyyoyo), synergy caps (Yoyojam), jimmy hats (Werrd) and hubstacks (YoYoFactory). One of the problems associated with side bearings is the tendency for the bearings to fall off. YoYoFactory currently has a patent pending design that uses rubber rings to hold the bearing by its seat onto the side hubs, keeping the bearing on the yo-yo.[22]
A number of yo-yo accessories are available as "after-market" modifications—players buy items separately from the yo-yo to augment performance over the original model shipped from the factory.
Some yo-yoers have their yo-yo modified (or modded) by themselves or by a yo-yo 'Modder'. Some of the most popular mods are:
Originally manufacturing yo-yos from wood, yo-yo technology improved in the 1960s when the industry switched to plastic. Benefits of a plastic yo-yo include the uniform weight distribution only possible with plastic, as the natural variations in wood density are undesirable for an even spin.
The operation of a yo-yo comes from rotational inertia causing the string to be wound in the opposite direction returning the yo-yo. When the string is connected to the shaft with a loop, the yo-yo will continue to spin at the end of the string instead of returning, unless the yo-yo is jerked slightly allowing the slack string to bind and allowing return.
Patents have been issued to create more complicated mechanisms to allow tension control and an adjustable mechanism.[23][24]
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
Translations:
yo-yo |
Dansk (Danish)
n. - jo-jo, idiot, fjols
v. intr. - lege med jo-jo
Nederlands (Dutch)
jojo (speelgoed), domoor, op- en neergaand (onvoorspelbaar), met een jo-jo spelen, op- en neergaan
Français (French)
n. - (gén) yo-yo, (US) abruti (péj)
adj. - instable
v. intr. - fluctuer (des prix, l'inflation)
Deutsch (German)
n. - Jo-Jo
v. - schwanken
adj. - schwankend
Ελληνική (Greek)
n. - γιο-γιο
v. - αμφιρρέπω, αμφιταλαντεύομαι
adj. - πάνω-κάτω, αυξομειούμενος
Português (Portuguese)
n. - ioiô (m)
v. - brincar de ioiô
adj. - pessoa estúpida
Русский (Russian)
чертик на ниточке (игрушка), беспринципный человек, неустойчивый, ездить взад-вперед, колебаться
Español (Spanish)
n. - yoyo
v. intr. - jugar al yoyo
adj. - relativo al yoyo
Svenska (Swedish)
n. - jojo, dumskalle (sl.)
v. - åka jojo upp o ner, vackla
adj. - jojo-, hastigt svängande
中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
溜溜球, 上下起落, 波动, 犹豫不决
中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
n. - 溜溜球
v. intr. - 上下起落, 波動, 猶豫不決
한국어 (Korean)
n. - 요요(장난감의 일종), 의견이 자꾸 변하는 자
v. intr. - 흔들리다, 변동하다
日本語 (Japanese)
n. - ヨーヨー
v. - 変動する
العربيه (Arabic)
(الاسم) لعبه اليويو ( بكرة خشبيه يلف خيط حول حز بها وتجذب لتدور صعودا ونزولا) (فعل) لعب باللعبه اليويو (صفه) يتغير باستمرار
עברית (Hebrew)
n. - יו-יו (צעצוע), משהו הנופל וקם שוב
v. intr. - שיחק ביו-יו, נע למטה ולמעלה
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| How Products are Made. How Products are Made. Copyright © 2002 by The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Investment Dictionary. Copyright ©2000, Investopedia.com - Owned and Operated by Investopedia Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Yo-yo". Read more |
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| Translations. Copyright © 2007, WizCom Technologies Ltd. All rights reserved. Read more |
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