jojo

See also: Jojo, jōjō, jo-jo, and Jo-Jo

Languages (14)

English

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Czech • Dutch • Finnish • French • Japanese • Lithuanian • Marshallese • Norwegian Bokmål • Norwegian Nynorsk • Polish • Slovak • Swedish • Ternate

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Page categories

English

Etymology

Reportedly coined on the spot by an employee of the Flavor-Crisp pressure fryer company at a Chicago trade show in the early 1960s. The potatoes were used to "clean the grease" between demonstrations of cooking chicken and fish, but customers unexpectedly started eating and enjoying them, leading someone to inquire what they were called.

Noun

jojo (plural jojos)

1. (Ohio, Northwestern US, British Columbia, chiefly in the plural) A seasoned, battered and fried potato wedge.
   • 2002, Karl Samson, Jane Aukshunas, Frommer's Washington State, page 288:

     If you're really hungry, be sure to try the wood-fired jojos (potato wedges).

   • 2011, Marissa Guggiana, Off the Menu: Staff Meals from America's Top Restaurants, page 223:

     The cheesy jojos threaten to colonize every inch of my appetite but I hold back by only eating them once I am nearly full.

   • 2023, Andrea Damewood, "George's Corner Tavern", Willamette Week (Willamette, OR), 20 September 2023, page 11:

     And perhaps George's best (un)kept secret is its fried chicken and jojos, which give Reel M Inn a run for its money.

Czech

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈjojo]

Noun

jojo n

1. yo-yo

Declension

Declension of jojo (hard neuter)

	singular	plural
nominative	jojo	joja
genitive	joja	joj
dative	joju	jojům
accusative	jojo	joja
vocative	jojo	joja
locative	joju	jojech
instrumental	jojem	joji

Further reading

• “jojo”, in Příruční slovník jazyka českého (in Czech), 1935–1957
• “jojo”, in Slovník spisovného jazyka českého (in Czech), 1960–1971, 1989
• “jojo”, in Akademický slovník současné češtiny, 2012–2026, slovnikcestiny.cz

Dutch

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjoː.joː/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Hyphenation: jo‧jo
• Rhymes: -oːjoː

Etymology 1

Borrowed from English yo-yo.

Noun

jojo m (plural jojo's, diminutive jojootje n)

1. yo-yo (toy consisting of a spheroidal or cylindrical spindle having a circular groove in which string is wound)
2. (informal) yo-yo (foolish, annoying or incompetent person)

Alternative forms

• jo-jo

Derived terms

• jojoën

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

jojo

1. inflection of jojoën:
   1. first-person singular present indicative
   2. (in case of inversion) second-person singular present indicative
   3. imperative

References

• van der Sijs, Nicoline, editor (2010), “jojo¹”, in Etymologiebank, Meertens Institute

Further reading

• Jojo (speelgoed) on the Dutch Wikipedia.Wikipedia ^nl

Finnish

Etymology

From English yo-yo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjojo/, [ˈjo̞jo̞]
• Rhymes: -ojo
• Syllabification^(key): jo‧jo
• Hyphenation^(key): jo‧jo

Noun

jojo

1. yo-yo

Declension

Inflection of jojo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)
nominative		jojo	jojot
genitive		jojon	jojojen
partitive		jojoa	jojoja
illative		jojoon	jojoihin
		singular	plural
nominative		jojo	jojot
accusative	nom.	jojo	jojot
	gen.	jojon
genitive		jojon	jojojen
partitive		jojoa	jojoja
inessive		jojossa	jojoissa
elative		jojosta	jojoista
illative		jojoon	jojoihin
adessive		jojolla	jojoilla
ablative		jojolta	jojoilta
allative		jojolle	jojoille
essive		jojona	jojoina
translative		jojoksi	jojoiksi
abessive		jojotta	jojoitta
instructive		—	jojoin
comitative		See the possessive forms below.

Possessive forms of jojo (Kotus type 1/valo, no gradation)

first-person singular possessor singular plural nominative jojoni jojoni accusative nom. jojoni jojoni gen. jojoni genitive jojoni jojojeni partitive jojoani jojojani inessive jojossani jojoissani elative jojostani jojoistani illative jojooni jojoihini adessive jojollani jojoillani ablative jojoltani jojoiltani allative jojolleni jojoilleni essive jojonani jojoinani translative jojokseni jojoikseni abessive jojottani jojoittani instructive — — comitative — jojoineni second-person singular possessor singular plural nominative jojosi jojosi accusative nom. jojosi jojosi gen. jojosi genitive jojosi jojojesi partitive jojoasi jojojasi inessive jojossasi jojoissasi elative jojostasi jojoistasi illative jojoosi jojoihisi adessive jojollasi jojoillasi ablative jojoltasi jojoiltasi allative jojollesi jojoillesi essive jojonasi jojoinasi translative jojoksesi jojoiksesi abessive jojottasi jojoittasi instructive — — comitative — jojoinesi first-person plural possessor singular plural nominative jojomme jojomme accusative nom. jojomme jojomme gen. jojomme genitive jojomme jojojemme partitive jojoamme jojojamme inessive jojossamme jojoissamme elative jojostamme jojoistamme illative jojoomme jojoihimme adessive jojollamme jojoillamme ablative jojoltamme jojoiltamme allative jojollemme jojoillemme essive jojonamme jojoinamme translative jojoksemme jojoiksemme abessive jojottamme jojoittamme instructive — — comitative — jojoinemme second-person plural possessor singular plural nominative jojonne jojonne accusative nom. jojonne jojonne gen. jojonne genitive jojonne jojojenne partitive jojoanne jojojanne inessive jojossanne jojoissanne elative jojostanne jojoistanne illative jojoonne jojoihinne adessive jojollanne jojoillanne ablative jojoltanne jojoiltanne allative jojollenne jojoillenne essive jojonanne jojoinanne translative jojoksenne jojoiksenne abessive jojottanne jojoittanne instructive — — comitative — jojoinenne third-person possessor singular plural nominative jojonsa jojonsa accusative nom. jojonsa jojonsa gen. jojonsa genitive jojonsa jojojensa partitive jojoaan jojoansa jojojaan jojojansa inessive jojossaan jojossansa jojoissaan jojoissansa elative jojostaan jojostansa jojoistaan jojoistansa illative jojoonsa jojoihinsa adessive jojollaan jojollansa jojoillaan jojoillansa ablative jojoltaan jojoltansa jojoiltaan jojoiltansa allative jojolleen jojollensa jojoilleen jojoillensa essive jojonaan jojonansa jojoinaan jojoinansa translative jojokseen jojoksensa jojoikseen jojoiksensa abessive jojottaan jojottansa jojoittaan jojoittansa instructive — — comitative — jojoineen jojoinensa

Derived terms

• jojoilla

compounds

• jojolaihduttaja
• jojolaihduttaminen
• lentojojo

Further reading

• “jojo”, in Kielitoimiston sanakirja [Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish]‎^[1] (in Finnish) (online dictionary, continuously updated), Kotimaisten kielten keskuksen verkkojulkaisuja 35, Helsinki: Kotimaisten kielten tutkimuskeskus (Institute for the Languages of Finland), 2004–, retrieved 2 July 2023

French

Etymology

Colloquial contraction of joli.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ʒo.ʒo/

• Audio:

  (file)

Adjective

jojo (plural jojos)

1. (colloquial) cool, nice, good

   Ce n'est pas jojo, ça! ― That's not good!

Japanese

Romanization

jojo

1. Rōmaji transcription of じょじょ

Lithuanian

Verb

jojo

1. third-person singular past of joti
2. third-person plural past of joti

Marshallese

Etymology 1

Pronunciation

• (phonetics) IPA^(key): [tʲoːzʲo], (enunciated) [tʲo tʲo]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /tʲewtʲew/
• Bender phonemes: {jȩwjȩw}

Noun

jojo (construct jojoin)

1. a chick

Etymology 2

Pronunciation

• (phonetics) IPA^(key): [tʲɔːzʲɔ], (enunciated) [tʲɔ tʲɔ]
• (phonemic) IPA^(key): /tʲɛwtʲɛw/
• Bender phonemes: {jewjew}

Noun

jojo (construct jojoin)

1. a flying fish

References

• Abo, Takaji; Bender Byron W.; Capelle, Alfred; DeBrum, Tony (2009–), “jojo”, in Marshallese–English Online Dictionary‎^[2]

Norwegian Bokmål

Etymology 1

From English yo-yo.

Noun

jojo m (definite singular jojoen, indefinite plural jojoer, definite plural jojoene)

1. a yo-yo

Etymology 2

From jo (“yes”), literally "yes-yes".

Interjection

jojo

1. An exclamation of disagreement or strongly reluctant agreement, often followed by a men (“but”) and a counterargument if the latter.

Related terms

• jo
• jaja
• joda

References

• “jojo” in The Bokmål Dictionary.

Norwegian Nynorsk

Alternative forms

• yoyo

Etymology

From English yo-yo.

Noun

jojo m (definite singular jojoen, indefinite plural jojoar, definite plural jojoane)

1. a yo-yo

References

• “jojo” in The Nynorsk Dictionary.

Polish

Etymology

Borrowed from English yo-yo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjɔ.jɔ/

• Audio:

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ɔjɔ
• Syllabification: jo‧jo

Noun

jojo n (indeclinable)

1. (colloquial) alternative spelling of jo-jo

Further reading

• “jojo”, in Wielki słownik języka polskiego‎^[3] (in Polish), Instytut Języka Polskiego PAN
• “jojo”, in Polish dictionaries at PWN‎^[4] (in Polish)

Slovak

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /jɔjɔ/, [ˈjɔjɔ]
• Hyphenation: jo‧jo

Etymology 1

Etymology tree

Spanish yoyobor.

Ilocano yóyoder.

Slovak jojo

Most likely from Ilocano yóyo.

Noun

jojo n (relational adjective jojo)

1. yo-yo

Declension

Declension of jojo
(pattern mesto)

	singular	plural
nominative	jojo	joja, jojá
genitive	joja	jojí
dative	joju	jojam, jojám
accusative	jojo	joja
locative	joje	jojach, jojách
instrumental	jojom	jojami

Adjective

jojo (indeclinable)

1. (relational) yo-yo

   jojo efekt ― yo-yo effect

Etymology 2

Etymology tree

Biblical Hebrew הוֹסִיף (hosíf)der.

Biblical Hebrew יוֹסֵף (yōsēp̄)bor.

Ancient Greek Ἰωσήφ (Iōsḗph)bor.

Latin Iōsēphusbor.

Slovak Jozef

Slovak Jojo

Slovak jojo

From Jojo.

Noun

jojo m pers

1. (expressive) a naive, simple-minded person (usually used as an insult)

   Synonym: truľo

Declension

Declension of jojo
(pattern chlap)

	singular	plural
nominative	jojo	jojovia
genitive	joja	jojov
dative	jojovi	jojom
accusative	joja	jojov
locative	jojovi	jojoch
instrumental	jojom	jojami

Further reading

• “jojo”, in Slovníkový portál Jazykovedného ústavu Ľ. Štúra SAV [Dictionary portal of the Ľ. Štúr Institute of Linguistics, Slovak Academy of Science] (in Slovak), https://slovnik.juls.savba.sk, 2003–2026
• Peter Oravec (2016–2026), “jojo”, in Obrátený slovník cudzích slov [Reverse dictionary of foreign words] (in Slovak), https://www.najdislovo.sk

Swedish

Etymology 1

Reduplication of jo.

Interjection

jojo

1. Expresses irony or schadenfreude.

   Jojo, så går det när man vägrar planera i förväg

   Yup, that's what happens when you refuse to plan ahead

2. Expresses that one (contrary to what the other person thinks) agrees (but has other objections).

   Jojo, jag tror faktiskt maskinen skulle fungera utmärkt, men den är onödig även om den fungerar

   I agree. I actually think the machine would work great. But it's unnecessary even if it works.

3. Expresses slight bewilderment at learning something.

   Jojo, det kunde man inte tro om honom

   I see, would never have guessed that about him

See also

• jaja

Etymology 2

From English yo-yo.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈjʊˌjʊ/

Noun

jojo c

1. a yo-yo

Declension

Declension of jojo

		nominative	genitive
singular	indefinite	jojo	jojos
	definite	jojon	jojons
plural	indefinite	jojoar	jojoars
	definite	jojoarna	jojoarnas

See also

• trissa

References

• “jojo”, in Svensk ordbok [Dictionary of Swedish] (in Swedish)
• “jojo”, in Svenska Akademiens ordlista [Wordlist of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)
• “jojo”, in Svenska Akademiens ordbok [Dictionary of the Swedish Academy] (in Swedish)

Ternate

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈd͡ʒod͡ʒo]

Noun

jojo

1. uncle, aunt (younger sibling of a parent)

References

• Rika Hayami-Allen (2001), A descriptive study of the language of Ternate, the northern Moluccas, Indonesia, University of Pittsburgh, page 24