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About JO
JO is a valid word in the official Scrabble dictionary (US), the UK Scrabble Dictionary and Words with Friends (ENABLE).
(noun) Definition: A Scots word of endearment, typically meaning “sweetheart” or “darling.”
More about JO
While it’s primarily known as a nickname (see “Little Women” by Louisa May Alcott), JO is also famous thanks to many Scots ballads. It was first used circa 1529, but you’ll find it most often in the poems and ballads of the Scottish poet/songwriter Robert Burns — most popularly, Burns’ famous 1789 folk ballad “John Anderson My Jo.” For those of us who thought that “Jo” was a diminutive for John in this particular song, we were apparently wrong.
Interestingly, Robert Burns’ original version of Auld Lang Syne (1788) included the chorus “For Auld Lang Syne, my jo, For Auld Lang Syne.” When Burns later submitted the song to a publisher, he changed the phrase “my jo” to the now-familiar “my dear.”
Ways to use JO in a sentence:
- “You’re my darlin’ little Jo!”
- “He/she’s my Jo!”
Or, if you want to attract more attention on New Year’s Eve, try singing “For Auld Lang Syne, my jo” and see if anyone notices.