verb. To hit, strike, beat.
Nine or ten times
I had thought t’ have yerked him here under the ribs.
– Iago, Othello (I.ii.5) – William Shakespeare
Many references of this word are used when referring to kick, whip, or spur a horse or other animal to get moving. It has had a lot of different usages over the years, actually. One source uses this word to mean “beat” in a metaphorical sense, such as, “the Sun’s rays beat down on us.” So on a hot day you can tell your friends, “The Sun’s rays yerked us all day long.”
The word has had 500 years of life, but not much in the last 100. It’s a shame, really. Such a fun word to use.
“Why I oughta yerk you…”
Also works as a threat, as in the above. Sprinkle this one into your conversations. Might be a good way to keep the chat going after you’ve run out of things to say about the weather.