A toy consisting of a spring-loaded stick with footrests and handles, used for bouncing up and down. Also refers to a style of punk rock dancing involving vertical jumping.
Trademarked name created in the 1920s by combining parts of the inventors' names: POppens and GOttschall. The pogo stick was patented in 1919. The punk dance style emerged in the 1970s, named after the similar bouncing motion.
The pogo stick is one of the few toys whose name comes directly from its inventors' names smooshed together - like a corporate portmanteau. When punk rockers started jumping straight up and down at concerts in the 1970s, calling it 'pogo dancing' was perfect because it looked exactly like bouncing on a pogo stick.
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