I am (incorrectly) sticking with 'Legos'

Natebw

I know that 1) this has been beaten to death over the years and 2) it is nothing short of heresy to some of you. But here it is:

I build with Legos. I play with Legos. I save up to buy Legos. I wait for Legos in the mail from BrickLink stores.

I know it is supposed to be "I clean up the LEGO when I am done." And I have tried to say that and teach my kids to say (and do) that.

But here is the thing. That is just not how I feel. When I was a kid I said "Legos". Any brick was a Lego and any accessory was a Lego and if you combined them they were two Legos. It was that way for everyone I knew and it is that way for everyone I know now that isn't an AFOL.

Like Cloud Cuckoo Land, building and sorting and playing is so nostalgic and fun, I don't want to stifle it with rules about what to call them. So I have decided that I am continuing to play with Legos and feel no remorse about it.

:)

samiam391

Natebw said:

I build with Legos. I play with Legos. I save up to buy Legos. I wait for Legos in the mail from BrickLink stores.

To each... their own.. *gulp*.

AndyPol

I found this - retroist.com/2009/01/14/1985-lego-catalog/lego-23/ at retroist.com. If you look at the bottom right corner on the page scanned from a 1985 catalogue, that should assist you in which word to use!

akunthita

So... you also say fishes and deers? Just wondering... kidding... just kidding...(c;

Asking us to use the brand name properly was a request by LEGO to protect the brand-name. I think that is a reasonable request and I do comply, not because someone said so, but because I do want to protect my favorite toy from all those clone-brands that are popping up everywhere. I feel this is the least I can do to help out the brand (besides shopping, of course).

Also, just thought to mention that those who use the name improperly really come accross as noobs. It's just how it is. Most of us only know each other through the Internet, and wether we like it or not, our writing, spelling, punctuation, etc. is the only thing others can "see" about us- and that's what we will be judged by. This is not a vicious thing, it is an unconscious way of categorizing people we interact with online.

Of course you say whatever you like, but please consider that this is not a "stiffling rule" - as you said. It is a way to help out the company we all love (I assume), and it is also a way to position yourself within the community. It is not any different than establishing yourself and learning the language of your profession, job or any other hobby. It is not an "I have to", it is an "I want to" - just a shift in perspective, but makes a big difference...(c:

oldtodd33

akunthita said:

So... you also say fishes and deers? Just wondering... kidding... just kidding...(c;



accross wether

I just thought I would point out your spelling errors in that post:)

AndyPol

oldtodd33 said:

akunthita said:

So... you also say fishes and deers? Just wondering... kidding... just kidding...(c;



accross wether

I just thought I would point out your spelling errors in that post:)

Thats the probellm with foroms that disscus spelings as someone wil noticis your usee of langauge......... :)

Natebw

@akunthita‌ Yeah, I definitely get all that. I've read the rules. When I write something, particularly for publication to the public, I follow them. Including copyright symbol and all.

And I really don't have much interest in gaining social stature among AFOLs. I checked out my local LUG, and will never be a part of that. So, really, I am a noob, and probably always will be. Maybe I can embrace my Lego-redneck inner self. :)

Oh, and for anyone wondering, I am not trolling with this thread.But I've been mulling this over for a year or so. I just feel happier saying Legos than Lego. I suppose it possible I might change my mind at some point. If so, fine.

:)

akunthita

@Natebw, don't you find it difficult to keep both an "official LEGO personality" and a "LEGO redneck personality"? Of course if you don't write much about the hobby it shouldn't be a big problem, but if you do write regularly it sound like it would take quite a bit of effort to not mix them up.

SuperTramp

You have seriously been mulling over this for a year or so?

oldtodd33

It's not hard to have a split personality with the Lego/Legos speech. I write Lego on the forum all the time without hesitation, but at home with my kids I says Legos without even thinking about it. After all, that's how I grew up, it's just very ingrained.

Natebw

@SuperTramp‌ Yep. I have a tendency to over think things. Once I come out of the dark ages and learned the proper way, I tried to say it like that. But I'd feel guilty when I would slip and say "Legos" to kids or adults who "Wow, you are really into Legos."

I have officially decided to get over it. And instead of being a "Lego redneck", I am going to be "Lego punk rebel" !! That has a much better feel. :)

Natebw

@oldtodd33‌ So you basically do what I do and have lived without shame or scorn. :)

AndyPol

I think it must be a language thing? I grew up learning English (English) not English (US) and as we speak it correctly over the pond, I must be right! It was LEGO from birth and I have never said anything different.

I hope my English sense of humour (or is it humor?) comes across in my posts on this subject, so please don't take it too seriously, LEGO is a toy after all! Or is it a highly sophisticated interlocking brick system? :)

samiam391

AndyPol said:

I hope my English sense of humour (or is it humor?)

Ask @carlq‌, he's an expert on that subject.

oldtodd33

@Natebw Yes, I say it without shame. No one here hears it, so it's OK.

@AndyPol No offense taken, it's a cultural difference and probably will always be.
It's both a toy and a highly sophisticated interlocking system.

peterlinddk

I've only come across this lego/legos-distinction recently, and I do think - along with @AndyPol‌ - that it must be a mostly US-phenomenon. Here in Denmark we mostly call the LEGO bricks "klodser" - the danish word for building blocks, and never use the word LEGO to describe individual (countable) pieces, only in sentences like "So, how much LEGO do you have at your house?"

I've never been able to understand the american tendency to call things by company name - e.g. Xerox machine, Hoover, Coke (to describe any kind of fizzy drink), etc.

oldtodd33

^ I'll agree with what you said about calling things by their company name here with the exception of the word Coke. The only time I will use Coke is when I want whatever they have like Pepsi, and then I will be corrected by the cashier that they carry Pepsi products and get that instead. But if you want a Root Beer or Mountain Dew, people usually ask for it by product. Maybe that's why we refer to products by their name.

On the other hand, my grandmother used to call the Hoover-the electric broom.

Matthew

AndyPol said:

English sense of humour (or is it humor?)

No, it's humour :-)

carlq

samiam391 said:

AndyPol said:

I hope my English sense of humour (or is it humor?)

Ask @carlq‌, he's an expert on that subject.

Tsk, one small correction and people think you're an expert.....:-P

Pitfall69

oldtodd33 said:

^ I'll agree with what you said about calling things by their company name here with the exception of the word Coke. The only time I will use Coke is when I want whatever they have like Pepsi, and then I will be corrected by the cashier that they carry Pepsi products and get that instead. But if you want a Root Beer or Mountain Dew, people usually ask for it by product. Maybe that's why we refer to products by their name.

On the other hand, my grandmother used to call the Hoover-the electric broom.

I spent a lot of time in the Southern US. They tend to call everything a Coke. Even the waitresses would ask "what Coke would you like?" The Northeast will say "soda" whereas the Midwest calls it "pop". I don't drink many carbonated beverages, but if I were to order one; I would ask by brand name. "I would like a Dr. Pepper please."

Natebw

I thought only people from the UK said "Hoovering" instead of vacuuming, which is what I say. I easily could be wrong.

legomatt

Would the mods please change the title of this thread to 'I am sticking with mispronouncing LEGO'. ;o)

mathew

Only forum nerds care if it's Lego or Legos. I'm not kidding.

madforLEGO

mathew said:

Only forum nerds care if it's Lego or Legos. I'm not kidding.

I'm guessing LEGO also cares if it is pronounced LEGO or LEGOs. After all, it is their name.. Do you also pronounce tupperware containers 'tupperwares', or rubbermaid containers 'rubbermaids?'

mathew

madforLEGO said:

mathew said:

Only forum nerds care if it's Lego or Legos. I'm not kidding.

I'm guessing LEGO also cares if it is pronounced LEGO or LEGOs. After all, it is their name.. Do you also pronounce tupperware containers 'tupperwares', or rubbermaid containers 'rubbermaids?'

No. Lego doesn't care. Only forum nerds care.

legomatt

I am kidding of course, just in case anybody missed the humour.

mathew said:

Only forum nerds care if it's Lego or Legos. I'm not kidding.

That's good to know, matthew. I can call you matthew, can't I? I mean, I know you spell it differently, but only nerds care about such things, right? I mean, what does one extra letter matter to anyone? LOL ;oP

*THIS IS ALSO IN JEST* (Just to be on the safe side - don't want people getting all worked up and looking foolish) :oP

fenderbender336

As a child I always said "LEGOs" mostly due to the fact my parents always said it. Now it's just Lego for me, or while talking to other AFOLs, but I still slip sometimes with family.

Pitfall69

"This is deja vu all over again."

GoodCoffeeJoey

You're a monster.

AndyPol

mathew said:

madforLEGO said:

mathew said:

Only forum nerds care if it's Lego or Legos. I'm not kidding.

I'm guessing LEGO also cares if it is pronounced LEGO or LEGOs. After all, it is their name.. Do you also pronounce tupperware containers 'tupperwares', or rubbermaid containers 'rubbermaids?'

mathew said

No. Lego doesn't care. Only forum nerds care.

(Serious comment) I would be careful second guessing what LEGO care about? If you actually look at my post above, going to the link for the 1985 catalogue, the company state they do care!

(Not so serious comment) I think it is quite amusing to see how one "s" can cause so much interest and hopefully light-hearted comments.....

CCC

legomatt said:

Would the mods please change the title of this thread to 'I am sticking with mispronouncing LEGO'. ;o)

Or just ...

[US] I am sticking with Legos

KiwiLegoMeister

I think you all miss the real issue.
I can live with either Lego or Legos. So long as it's Lego. (I don't use 'Legos')
Who here has ever tried to correct people who use the word Lego (or Legos) for non-Lego imitations?
That really gets my back up - especially when they're trying to sell imitation products under the Lego name on auction sites ....

AndyPol

I have just found on the LEGO official website, under the Fair Play Policy, a sentence which states "If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs".

It won't stop the debate or people adding the "s", but for the nerds, the link is here

Shib

KiwiLegoMeister said:

I think you all miss the real issue.
I can live with either Lego or Legos. So long as it's Lego. (I don't use 'Legos')
Who here has ever tried to correct people who use the word Lego (or Legos) for non-Lego imitations?
That really gets my back up - especially when they're trying to sell imitation products under the Lego name on auction sites ....

I completely agree with you, while Legos sounds odd to me I don't give two figs if someone says Legos instead of Lego. But when someone uses the word Lego for Mega-Blocks/Kreo/Charcterbuilding/'Lego Compatable'/etc then I do feel the need to correct them - and that's only because the amount of people I hear saying stuff like "Lego is a load of rubbish, it doesn't even hold together properly" to which the response is, "That's because you're buying cheap imitations instead of actual Lego which stays together great!"

CCC

AndyPol said:

I have just found on the LEGO official website, under the Fair Play Policy, a sentence which states "If the LEGO trademark is used at all, it should always be used as an adjective, not as a noun. For example, say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO BRICKS". Never say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGOs".

It won't stop the debate or people adding the "s", but for the nerds, the link is here

Note that it is also incorrect (according to LEGO) to say "MODELS BUILT OF LEGO".

Which is why I normally say "models build of lego", as opposed to "models build of LEGO". That is, I'm not using their trademarked capitalised version of the name. Just like hoover is often used to refer to any vacuum cleaner, not just a Hoover. Of course, following that it is also clear why others sometimes use lego to refer to MegaBloks and any other generic clone.

Huw

Saying 'legos' in the privacy of your own home is fine, but anyone writing it in the forum (except in discussions about why it shouldn't be written) will be banned :-)

Natebw

To bolster my case, consider these news items from a diverse sampling of publishers that include LEGOs in the title:
How Legos Could Change What We Know About Plants (Smithsonian)
Woman Arrested For Stealing Thousands Of Dollars’ Worth Of Legos From Glendale Store (CBS)
Lost At Sea, Legos Reunite On Beaches And Facebook (NPR)
Why Are All These Legos Washing Up on the Beach? (The Atlantic)
Travelers Use LEGOs Instead Of 'Selfies' To Showcase Awesome Travel Photos (Huffington Post)
An Artist Built a Working Microscope Using Only Legos (Mashable)
Legos obsession lead to U.S. geography lesson(The Virginian-Pilot)
‘Star Wars’ LEGOs Come To San Diego With A Massive Droid And A Wookiee Gunship MTV

CCC

In other words, American non-lego fans that know no better get it wrong.

Aleydita

I'll be using the word Legos permanently now in protest!

Natebw

@CCC‌ Agreed, but my point is this - these are professionals that are supposed to research companies that they write about and how to use the terms. If even these folks and every non-AFOL and some AFOLs on this forum use the term "Legos", it certainly isn't rare.

CCC

I'd say it was more that they were writing Legos as that is what the readership will expect, based on what they used as kids. I only had a quick look at one of the articles, and they do use the term Lego bricks quite a bit too, in the article. Although they also continue using Legos too.

People should feel free to use what they want. But if you knowingly use the wrong term on an AFOL website, you may not get the respect you feel you deserve.

Natebw

@ccc lol, I don't feel I deserve any particular respect. I'm just calling it as I see it. This isn't a competition to me and I have no interest in climbing an AFOL hierarchy. I just play with LEGO bricks with my kids.

Rainstorm26

"(Serious comment) I would be careful second guessing what LEGO care about? If you actually look at my post above, going to the link for the 1985 catalogue, the company state they do care!"

I think that TLG has slipped in their quality since 1985 and therefore I feel justified to slip in my adherence to the use of the term LEGO. :)

AndyPol

Rainstorm26 said:

I think that TLG has slipped in their quality since 1985 and therefore I feel justified to slip in my adherence to the use of the term LEGO. :)

Really? I was just heading into my "Dark Age" around then and whilst the themes have changed or adapted over time, I wouldn't say the quality has dropped at all, but that is a debate for another day! :)

mathew

Quality of bricks has dropped. I've got enough Legos to know.

AndyPol

mathew said:

Quality of bricks has dropped. I've got enough Legos to know.

If you have legos that is why the quality has dropped. I was talking about LEGO. (sorry, as we are talking about words, my sense of humour couldn't resist that one!) :)

LegoManiacc

In some countries, trademark generalization and erosion are the biggest reasons TLG is very specific on using the name in a certain way (LEGO bricks, etc):

Wiki: en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Generic_trademark

Trademark erosion is a special case of antonomasia related to trademarks. It happens when a trademark becomes so common that it starts being used as a common name and the original company has failed to prevent such use. Once it has become an appellative, the word cannot be registered any more; this is why companies try hard not to let their trademark become too common, a phenomenon that could otherwise be considered a successful move since it would mean that the company gained an exceptional recognition.

Vaseline (out of the USA), Hoover (The Hoover Company) or Nintendo (which managed to replace excessive use of its name by the then-neologism game console) are examples of "failed" or "successful" trademark erosion.

margot

It would be great if everyone said Lego bricks instead of Legos. But 99.999999999% of people in the USA don't know that what they are saying is incorrect so it's a losing battle. Lego needs to do some kind of informational campaign if that's what they really want.

Natebw

@margot I figure it would be very difficult for TLG to pull that off without looking snobbish and European, which many in the US can't stand. As a matter of fact, I bet most people thing Lego is an American company.

At the end of the day, I'm an American I am going to say what I was raised saying. I'd tried self-censorship and it just isn't that fun.

mathew

Can you just imagine if Lego Store employees had to correct every person who said "Legos"? Not only would be a collosal waste of energy but it also comes across as condescending and elitist. Use some common sense folks.

CCC

mathew said:

Can you just imagine if Lego Store employees had to correct every person who said "Legos"? Not only would be a collosal waste of energy but it also comes across as condescending and elitist. Use some common sense folks.

Yes, that's fine if they know no better. But what should the lego store employee say to the people buying the lego? Should they use their knowledge and say "Enjoy your LEGO" or think what the customer might expect to hear and say "Enjoy your LEGOs"?

Of course, they should say "Enjoy your LEGO sets."