"Yo."

Question: Is "yo" a verb for what you do with a yo-yo?

Answer: Why not?

Background: "At our church in the summer time, our pastors ask a child to put an object into a special bag and then the pastor makes up an on-the-spot 2-minute children's sermon based on the object. The only requirements is that the object is not alive or has never been alive.

"Last night a child had put a yo-yo in the bag. The pastor took it from the bag and while she was thinking what to say, she asked, 'What do you do with a yo-yo?'

"A little boy put up his hand and answered, 'You yo.' "

Is "yo" a verb?

RayS.: "Yo" is a "Philadelphianism," if there is such a word to describe the language of Philadelphians, that means, "Hi" or "Hello." My daughter Susie always used to greet callers on the phone with "Yo!" Folklore says that it originated in South Philadelphia. Some New Jerseyans say that "Yo!" originated with them. However, I have never heard of "yo" as a verb meaning to use a yo-yo. Frankly, I think "yo" as a verb for what you do with a yo-yo is terrific. The kid is a linguistic genius.

All the best. RayS.