How did Yo-Yos become so popular?

Summary

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Who Smarted? – How did Yo-Yos become so popular?

Podcast: Who Smarted?
Host: Atomic Entertainment / Starglow Media
Episode Date: August 20, 2025

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Episode Overview

This lively and humorous episode explores the surprising history, science, and enduring popularity of the yo-yo. Hosts Trusty Narrator and Smarty Pants—joined by enthusiastic audience kids—travel through time and across continents, tracing the journey of this simple toy from ancient Greece to its present-day global fame. Expect fast-paced banter, fun trivia, and playful demonstrations of yo-yo tricks—all designed to spark curiosity in kids (and adults!) about how a “lame, boring, old timey toy” became an international sensation.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introduction & Skepticism About Yo-Yos (00:01–02:44)

• The Trusty Narrator expresses his doubts about yo-yos, calling them “a plastic circle and a string” and “pretty boring” (00:51).
• Smarty Pants and the audience defend the yo-yo:
  • Smarty Pants (01:25): “Yo-Yos are, in fact, very exciting...they’ve got a long and fascinating history, from their humble beginnings to taking the world by storm.”
• A failed attempt by the Trusty Narrator to use a yo-yo highlights its deceptively tricky nature and sets up a “teachable moment.”

2. Yo-Yos in Ancient Times (05:03–06:49)

• Magical “time travel” takes listeners to ancient Greece, where children are seen depicted on vases playing with yo-yos (05:17).
  • Smarty Pants (05:24): “The yo-yo has existed since at least 440 BCE.”
• Materials used: wood, metal, and terracotta (the latter probably decorative, not for play) (06:30).
• The hosts clarify that although ancient Greek artifacts prove early yo-yo use, the actual invention likely predated the Greeks—possibly originating in China.

3. How Yo-Yos Came to the U.S. (07:19–08:58)

• The yo-yo’s journey to America is credited to Filipino immigrant Pedro Flores.
  • Flores started a yo-yo company in California in 1928 and rapidly succeeded, growing from 12 yo-yos a year to 300,000 and employing 600 staff (08:58).

4. Origin of the Name "Yo-Yo" (07:57–08:58)

• The word “yo-yo” comes from the Ilocano language of the northern Philippines, meaning “come, come.”
  • Trusty Narrator (08:36): “Coming back is exactly what a Yo-yo does when you release it.”
• Yo-yos had already been popular in the Philippines for hundreds of years, long before their American debut.

5. Innovations & Tricks (09:22–14:43)

• Flores introduced a critical innovation: tying a loop (instead of a knot) at the axle, making tricks possible (09:41–10:15).
• Yo-yo tricks introduced:
  • The Sleeper: keeping the yo-yo spinning at the bottom of the string.
  • Walk the Dog: letting the sleeping yo-yo roll along the ground, mimicking walking a dog.
• Smarty Pants (14:21): “The sleeper is when you make the yo-yo spin for a long time at the end of the string before pulling it back up. And walking the dog is when you do the sleeper...and let the yo-yo touch the ground so it spins forward, looking like you’re walking a dog.”
• Tips: Tricks are easier to learn by watching, so check for tutorials online with an adult.

6. The Yo-Yo Boom & the Duncan Era (14:55–16:25)

• Businessman Donald Duncan bought Flores’s company and used aggressive advertising to spread yo-yo fever.
• Duncan and Flores promoted yo-yos through in-person lessons and the first yo-yo contests, enhancing the toy’s appeal and popularity.
• The name “yo-yo” was trademarked by Duncan in 1932.

7. Trademark Battles & "Yo-Yo" Enters the Lexicon (16:25–17:43)

• Competitors had to use names like “whirligig,” “twirler,” or “returning top” due to the trademark (16:25).
• By 1965, “yo-yo” had become such a commonly used term that courts ruled the trademark invalid—it had entered everyday English, like “Q-tips” or “Chapstick.”
  • Smartypants (17:36): “Exactly. From then on, they could call their whirligigs, twirlers, or returning tops a Yo-Yo.”

8. Modern Era & Competitions (17:47–18:54)

• Technological advances: Addition of ball bearings in the 1970s and ’80s allowed longer spins and more advanced tricks.
• Despite changes in materials and minor tweaks, the basic design has remained the same.
• Major competitions: The World Yo-Yo Contest (YoYoCon) is the premier global event for yo-yo enthusiasts, with participants from dozens of countries.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Smarty Pants (01:25): “Yo-Yos are, in fact, very exciting...and as you just saw me demonstrate, you can do some pretty cool tricks with them.”
• Trusty Narrator (02:44): “I think I may have been wrong about Yo-Yos.”
• Audience Kid (05:56): “Whoa,” marveling at the ancient Greek yo-yo vases.
• Trusty Narrator (08:36): “Coming back is exactly what a Yo yo does when you release it. Well, maybe not you.”
• Smarty Pants (14:21): Describes “sleeper” and “walk the dog” tricks.
• Trusty Narrator (19:01): “Nope, you were right. I was wrong. I just wish I could learn how to do it. It seems so simple. All you have to do is toss it out and...hey, I did it!”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:01–02:44 – Introduction, skepticism, and first yo-yo attempt
• 05:03–06:49 – Ancient Greece and yo-yo origins
• 07:19–08:58 – Pedro Flores and early American yo-yo craze
• 09:22–10:15 – Innovation: Loop for tricks
• 14:21–14:43 – How to do yo-yo tricks (“Sleeper” and “Walk the Dog”)
• 14:55–16:25 – Duncan, advertising, & first yo-yo contests
• 16:25–17:43 – Trademark battles & yo-yo’s name
• 17:47–18:54 – Modern yo-yos, competitions, present day

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Conclusion & Takeaways

By the end of the episode, the Trusty Narrator’s opinion “yo-yoed”—he’s won over and even manages to successfully use a yo-yo after all! Listeners are left with fun facts about yo-yos’ rich global history, their rise to fame, inventive spirit, and the message that all great things have their “ups and downs.”

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For Kids & Parents:
Try out yo-yo tricks like “the sleeper” or “walk the dog” at home, and don’t forget to share what you learned—maybe you’ll become the next Yo-Yo Champion!

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Transcript

[Trusty Narrator]

And now it's time for who's Smarted?

[Smarty Pants]

Step right up, folks. Step right up and prepare to be amazed. I can't believe it's the amazing Yo Yo Mama.

[Audience Kid]

Ooh, I can't wait to see what she does this time.

[Smarty Pants]

She's the greatest.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, smarty pants. I'm at a local carnival, and for some strange reason, there's a fairly decent crowd gathered to see a nice but fairly ordinary lady. Hey, kid, who is this yo yo and why is she so amazing?

[Smarty Pants]

Are you kidding? She's the Yo Yo Mama. She's only the greatest Yo Yoer ever.

[Audience Kid]

Watch. Here she goes.

[Smarty Pants]

See?

[Trusty Narrator]

Right? I mean, I guess it's kind of cool.

[Audience Kid]

I don't know.

[Trusty Narrator]

I always thought of a Yo yo as a kind of lame, boring, old timey toy. No offense, but, I mean, it's just a plastic circle and a string. Seems pretty boring to me.

[Smarty Pants]

Well, well. Oh, what do you know? It seems we have a Yo yo hater in the crowd. Whoa, whoa, whoa.

[Trusty Narrator]

I'm not a hater. I'm a trusty narrator who's just curious, that's all. Look, I have nothing against Yo Yos, per se, but they just don't seem all that exciting to me.

[Audience Kid]

Wow. You are just. Wow.

[Smarty Pants]

No, no, no, no, Boos. He's entitled to his opinion, even if it's wrong. Seriously. I'll have you know, Mr. Narrator, that yo Yos are, in fact, very exciting. Not only that, but they've got a long and fascinating history, from their humble beginnings to taking the world by storm. And as you just saw me demonstrate, you can do some pretty cool tricks with him. Well, I doubt you could do cool tricks with them.

[Trusty Narrator]

Cool tricks? You mean like up and down or side to side? It doesn't look very hard. I'm sure I could do it. In fact, I know I could do it.

[Smarty Pants]

Okay, be my guest. Catch.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, I just take this string and let it go. And, um, why isn't it coming back up here? Let me try again.

[Audience Kid]

Oops. Hold on.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wait, wait. I got it. I got it. Nope, don't got it.

[Audience Kid]

Hmm.

[Trusty Narrator]

I think it's broken.

[Smarty Pants]

I think you don't know what you're doing.

[Trusty Narrator]

I think you're right. I think I may have been wrong about Yo Yos.

[Smarty Pants]

No, no. Nobody laugh at him. I think this is a perfect time for a teachable moment. How would you like to learn about all things Yo Yo?

[Trusty Narrator]

I think I'd like that. Like, how was the yo yo invented? Are all Yo Yos the same? How do you do tricks with it. And why is it called a Yo yo in the first place? All right, smarty pants. Get ready for the ups and downs and ins and outs of yo as we take another big whiff of science and history on who's Smarted?

[Audience Kid]

Who's smarted? Who's smart? Is it you? Is it me? Is it science or history? Listen up everyone. We make smarting lots of fun. But who's smarted?

[Trusty Narrator]

This show is sponsored by Quints. You know as the trusty narrator. I'd much rather be in my backyard having lunch than pretty much anywhere else. But sometimes duty calls. And weather I'm being Minnie tries to go inside the human body. Traveling 2000 years to ancient Greece or just having Chet over for barbecue. I need clothes that work for it all. And so do you. That's where Quince comes in. I've ordered their sweaters and pants and they're perfect for my, let's call it flexible adventure lifestyle. The sweaters are soft cashmere that feel like they cost 10 times more than they do. And the pants. They're tough enough for outdoor adventures, but comfortable enough for my preferred backyard lounging. The best part is I'm not paying designer prices for quality basics. Quint cuts out the middleman so you get that premium feel without the premium markup. Keep it classic and cool with long lasting staples. From quints, go to quint.com smarted for free shipping and 365 day returns. That's Q-U-I-N C E.com smarted where are we? Yo yo Mama? I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore.

[Smarty Pants]

Kansas? I was in Kansas two weeks ago. Were you there?

[Trusty Narrator]

No, no, it's. It's just an expression. Sorry, didn't mean to lose you. Oh, and speaking of lost, where are we?

[Smarty Pants]

Why, we're in ancient Greece.

[Trusty Narrator]

Oh, right. I should have known. So many things began in ancient Greece. Was the yo yo one of them?

[Smarty Pants]

You tell me. Look over yonder.

[Trusty Narrator]

Say, is that young boy playing with a Yo Yo? Why yes. Yes he is.

[Smarty Pants]

That's because the yo yo has existed since at least 440 BCE.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ah, so they were invented in ancient Greece.

[Smarty Pants]

Um, that's not what I said. What I said was we know for sure they had yo yos in ancient Greece.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smartypants. How do you think they could possibly know that?

[Smarty Pants]

We know that because even today there exist painted vases from ancient Greece, many of which are in museums that have drawings of children playing with yo yos.

[Audience Kid]

Whoa.

[Smarty Pants]

No.

[Trusty Narrator]

Whoa, whoa. Okay, I'VE got to admit, that is pretty cool. So were these ancient yo yos very different from the yo Yos of today?

[Smarty Pants]

Yes and no. The basic principle was the same, but they were made of very different materials than today.

[Trusty Narrator]

Smarty pants, what do you think Yo Yos in ancient Greece were made from? Was it A, wood, B, metal, or C, terracotta, which is a clay based material used to make pottery and statues?

[Smarty Pants]

The answer is all three. Though the terracotta ones were most likely just for looking at and not playing with.

[Trusty Narrator]

Yeah, I could see that being a problem. Okay, so we know yo Yos existed in ancient Greece. Do we have any idea who actually invented the Yo Yo?

[Smarty Pants]

Why we do not. It seems Yo Yos existed for so long and were so widespread among the ancient world that it's really hard to say. The best guess has them likely being invented in ancient China. But while that remains unknown, we do know who brought them to the United States where they became a big hit.

[Trusty Narrator]

Tell us more.

[Smarty Pants]

For that, we can thank a Filipino immigrant named Pedro Flores. He came to the United States in 1915 and started a yo yo company in California in 1928.

[Trusty Narrator]

Interesting. But how did he know so much about yo yos? Smarty pants? Do you have any ideas?

[Smarty Pants]

The answer is simple. Yo Yos had already been super popular in his native Philippines for hundreds of years.

[Trusty Narrator]

True or false, Smarty pants? This is where the name yo yo came from. The answer is true.

[Smarty Pants]

The name yo yo comes from the local Ilyakano language of the northern Philippines.

[Audience Kid]

Aha.

[Trusty Narrator]

Now this is the factoid I've been waiting for. Why is a yo yo called a Yo yo? What does yo yo even mean? Does it mean A, come, come, B, go go, or C, where'd you go? What do you think, Smarty pants? Yeah, I'm not sure either.

[Smarty Pants]

Come on, trusty, you can do it. Think about how a yo yo works.

[Trusty Narrator]

Uh, I guess of those three, the one that makes the most sense is a come come.

[Smarty Pants]

Oh, trustee, you're right. Coming back is exactly what a Yo yo does when you release it. Well, maybe not you.

[Trusty Narrator]

Yeah, yeah, I haven't mastered that yet. But we'll get to that later. For now, I want to know more about Pedro and his California yo yo factory.

[Smarty Pants]

Well, it opened up in 1928 in a part of California known as Santa Barbara. At first, Pedro produced only 12 yo yos. But in just one year, he had three factories, a staff of 600, and he turned out over 300,000 yo yos a year.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wow, that's A lot of yo yos. The yo yo must have been very popular.

[Smarty Pants]

Oh, it was. And one of the reasons florets yo yos were so popular is because of a simple innovation or change that made them more fun to play with.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hmm, I wonder what that could be. Was it they weren't made of ceramic?

[Smarty Pants]

No, they weren't made of ceramic, but that's not it. You see, traditional yo yos had a knot at the axle. That's the part of the yo yo between the two discs where the string winds around. Okay, but Pedro Flores yo yo had a loop tied there instead of a knot. This simple change meant that now instead of just having your yo yo go down, then up, then down, then up, you could also do yo yo tricks.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ooh, teach me a trick. Teach me a trick. Teach me.

[Smarty Pants]

Mm, interesting. Weren't you the one who said, and I quote, I thought they were kind of lame and boring and old timey? Um, maybe it's just a plastic circle and a string.

[Trusty Narrator]

Look, that was earlier. My opinion since then has yo yoed. I'm sorry, okay? I just want to learn some tricks. Or just how to make it come come back to me.

[Smarty Pants]

Well, I guess I could teach you in the smarty pants a couple of tricks. How'd you like to learn the sleeper.

[Trusty Narrator]

And the walk the dog smarty pants? Do you know how to do those tricks? Well, we're gonna hear all about them right after this quick break. And a word from our SP. WhoSmarted is brought to you by Squarespace. Now, you know I'm good about creating new adventures and episodes of Whosmarted, but you don't know that I procrastinate on other stuff, like a website for one of our new projects.

[Audience Kid]

Oops.

[Trusty Narrator]

When the website builder Squarespace reached out about sponsoring Whosmarted, I decided to test it out. And now I feel silly for putting off building that website. Squarespace's blueprint AI thing literally built me a custom website in minutes. I just told it a few details about the project, and boom, it generated everything. And everything you need is right there. I can schedule guest interviews, send email campaigns, even sell merch, all from one dashboard. Now it's your turn to stop procrastinating and start building. You can use Squarespace to launch that business site or any site that you've been dreaming about. But putting off today, there's no excuse anymore. Especially since you can head to squarespace.com smarted for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, you can use code smarted to save 10% on your first purchase of a website or domain. That's squarespace.com smarted code smarted smarty parents trusty here. And I have to tell you about IXL because our whole team is absolutely obsessed with it. My niece and nephew use it, my colleagues kids are on it daily. And honestly, every homeschool parent I know has become a total fan. IXCEL is an award winning online learning platform that covers math, language arts, science and social studies that adapts to each child's level. It fits perfectly into homeschool routines, even summertime ones. And it keeps kids motivated and confident. And IXL isn't just a sponsor. They've actually become part of our team's lives. And here's why. Instead of spending hours hunting down worksheets, IXL organizes everything by grade and topic. My 9 year old nephew works on multiplication, while my colleague's 12 year old tackles algebra. Same program, totally personalized. When kids get something wrong, Ixcel explains the mistake and walks them through the right approach in an easy and fun way. Plus, detailed reports show where they're crushing it. Over 15 million students use IXL. WhoSmarted listeners get 20% [e-mail] smarted with code WHOSMARTED. That's IXL.com smarted with code WHOOSMARTED. Now back to WHOSMARTED.

[Audience Kid]

Ah, I almost had it.

[Smarty Pants]

Keep practicing, you'll get there, right?

[Trusty Narrator]

Well, let's just pretend I'm good enough to start learning tricks. What were those two tricks you mentioned and how are they done?

[Smarty Pants]

Well, there's good news and bad news. The good news is you don't have to be a Yo yo expert like me to do either of these relatively easy tricks.

[Trusty Narrator]

What's the bad news?

[Smarty Pants]

Both the Sleeper and the Walking the Dog tricks are easier to learn by seeing them than hearing them, so I'll describe them. But I suggest the smarty pants with the help of an adult, look up both these yo yo tricks and more online.

[Trusty Narrator]

Fair point.

[Smarty Pants]

The sleeper is when you make the yo yo spin for a long time at the end of the string before pulling it back up. And walking the dog is when you do the sleeper. Only this time you're going to let the yo yo touch the ground so that it spins forward, which looks like you're walking a dog.

[Trusty Narrator]

Gotcha. Ok, I'll practice those later. In the meantime, I need to know more about the yo yo craze that took America by storm. Once Pedro Flores opened his yo yo factory. What happened next?

[Smarty Pants]

What didn't happen? First, a rich businessman named Donald Duncan thought he could make Yo Yos even more popular than Pedro Flores. So he bought Pedro's company from him, making Pedro a very rich man.

[Trusty Narrator]

Wait, I think I've heard of the Duncan Yo Yos. Have you, smarty pants?

[Smarty Pants]

If you have, it's because that was his plan. One of the first things he did was make lots and lots of ads for yo yo so more people knew what it was.

[Audience Kid]

The new High performance transaction Yoyo from Duncan spits three times longer than other Yo Yos.

[Smarty Pants]

But here's the thing. Since this was still a fairly new toy, even if people saw yo yo in an ad or in a store, not everyone knew how to act. Play with it. So Duncan and Pedro traveled around the country giving yo yo lessons to kids.

[Audience Kid]

Whoa.

[Smarty Pants]

Soon after, they began promoting yo yo contest, where kids could actually show off their yo yo tricks and win prizes.

[Trusty Narrator]

I see. So Pedro and Duncan worked together.

[Smarty Pants]

They sure did. Duncan took charge of the business end, while Pedro became a Yo yo and ambassador, teaching kids how to play with Yo Yos.

[Trusty Narrator]

Aw, that's so cool.

[Smarty Pants]

You bet. But things were about to get serious. The yo yo was becoming such a hit toy. In 1932, Donald Duncan actually had the name yo yo trademarked. That meant other companies making Yo Yos couldn't call them Yo Yos anymore.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, smartypants, which of these is an actual name that a competitor named their version of the Yo Yo A spinny disc? B Whirligig, or C Twisty Thing? If you said B Whirligig, you're right.

[Smarty Pants]

But that was just one competitor. Others called them twirlers or returning tops.

[Trusty Narrator]

Interesting. But wait a minute. If the name yo yo was trademarked, why do we call all Yo Yos Yo Yos today?

[Smarty Pants]

Good observation, Trusty. By the 1960s, Yo Yoshi, the name and the toy were both so popular and interchangeable that everyone simply referred to all Yo Yos as Yo Yos. Because of that, all the other companies wanted to call their versions Yo Yos too. They began appealing Duncan's case in court. And in 1965, the Federal Court of Appeals ruled against Duncan and his trademark. They said trademarking the term yo yo was no longer valid because the word yo yo was now part of our language.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ah, kind of like Q Tips and Chapstick.

[Smarty Pants]

Exactly. From then on, they could call their whirligigs twirlers or returning tops a Yo Yo.

[Trusty Narrator]

Okay, now that everyone could call a Yo Yo a Yo Yo. Then what happened?

[Smarty Pants]

In the 1970s and 1980s, yo yo makers added ball bearings to the inside of some yo yos to help reduce friction, allow for longer spinning, and en yo yo masters like me the ability to do even more advanced tricks.

[Audience Kid]

The new high performance Duncan Transaction yo yo whip it.

[Smarty Pants]

But other than adding some small weights and being made of plastic instead of other materials, yo yos haven't really changed much throughout the years.

[Trusty Narrator]

Hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.

[Smarty Pants]

That's a good motto. But while yo yos have remained virtually unchanged, yo yo competitors have gotten way bigger. Like the world yo yo contest, AKA yo yocon, which is the biggest yo yo competition in the world. It takes place in a different city every year, and dozens of countries compete.

[Trusty Narrator]

Ooh, that sounds cool. I bet there are videos online you can check out Smarty pants with an adult toe or permission.

[Smarty Pants]

Sounds like someone doesn't think yo yos are so lame, boring or old timey after all.

[Trusty Narrator]

Nope, you were right. I was wrong. I just wish I could learn how to do it. It seems so simple. All you have to do is toss it out and hey, I did it.

[Audience Kid]

I'm doing it.

[Smarty Pants]

I knew you'd get it eventually. Trusty. Remember, yo yos are just like life. You've got your ups and downs and.

[Trusty Narrator]

Sometimes you have to walk the dog. A big shout out to some serious smarty fans. Julian and Zuri in Broomfield, Colorado, thanks so much for smarting with Whosmarted and for reaching out to me and suggesting episodes. We'll get to that skiing episode soon. In the meantime, keep on smarting with us, smarty pants. This episode, Yo Yos was written by Phil Rock the Baby Jeremy and voiced by Sheila Morris. Rain Morris, Adam Trix Davis and Jerry Colbert. Technical direction and sound design by Josh Walk the Dog on. Our associate producer is Max Kamikaze Kamaski. The theme song is by Brian Shoot the Moon Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex Davis. Who Smarted was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert. This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.