Lego or Legos?

[BasOne]

As a non native English speaker i learned that there is no s after a contraction, and as LEGO is a contraction of Leg Godt, by definition Legos is wrong.. or something

Edited January 13, 2011 by BasOne

[AmperZand]

...and while we're being anal, the "E" of LEGO is pronounced "ay", so "LEGO" is pronounced more like "lay-go" than "leg-o". My brother-in-law is Danish and used to work for LEGO at TLG's HQ. He has coached me on how to say it properly.

Amps

[The Crazy One]

This is me being particually picky, but I would love to smack some people who say Laygo or Legos, or even worse, Laygos. It annoys me so much, but then again, that is my very picky nature. Lego is what it is, and what it only should be.

[fred67]

...and while we're being anal, the "E" of LEGO is pronounced "ay", so "LEGO" is pronounced more like "lay-go" than "leg-o". My brother-in-law is Danish and used to work for LEGO at TLG's HQ. He has coached me on how to say it properly.

Amps

This is me being particually picky, but I would love to smack some people who say Laygo or Legos, or even worse, Laygos. It annoys me so much, but then again, that is my very picky nature. Lego is what it is, and what it only should be.

You guys need to get together for a beer and discuss LEGO.

[Omicron]

Only if you're from the south. If you ask for coke up north (assuming you're not talking to a drug dealer) you will get Coca Cola, you will not be asked "what kind?"

Oh I know. And that could attribute to the fact that the CC company is in Georgia. Kinda like how people in Denmark don't say Legos. :P

It's just one of those little stupid things that can be one or the other. I know I get Pepsi either way whenever I order a coke without them asking me.

-Omi

[AndyC]

Actually the term coke is pretty universal and can refer to any soft drink, including Coca-Cola (the actual brand name) and Pepsi.

I'm not so sure. In the UK at least I've known people doing "mystery shopper" type jobs in various pubs and clubs and one of the explicit tests was that bar staff would inform you they only had Pepsi if you asked for a Coke (and similarly with things like Red Bull if they had a rival brand). I think you can be in legally iffy waters if you sell a different product when asked for a Coke. Cola, on the other hand, is a generic term so in that case it doesn't matter.

[Omicron]

I'm not so sure. In the UK at least I've known people doing "mystery shopper" type jobs in various pubs and clubs and one of the explicit tests was that bar staff would inform you they only had Pepsi if you asked for a Coke (and similarly with things like Red Bull if they had a rival brand). I think you can be in legally iffy waters if you sell a different product when asked for a Coke. Cola, on the other hand, is a generic term so in that case it doesn't matter.

But it is the issue at hand like with "legos" or "Lego". Coke isn't the name of the brand. It is Coca-Cola, like LEGO. The term coke, originally referring to Coca-Cola back in the day, now refers to any soft drink. Plus Coke isn't a registered name under Coca-Cola, otherwise they'd be having weird complaints concerning cocaine and all that crap.

But doesn't really matter anyways.

-Omi

Edited January 14, 2011 by Omicron

[The Legonater]

Funny, I never did understand why people called them Legos. First off, it's not even good grammer. And again, it's LEGO, not Lego.

[gotoAndLego]

Honestly, I don't care if calling them Legos offends anyone's sensibilities.

I call the company Lego, and I call the bricks Legos because I play with more than one brick.

Edited January 14, 2011 by gotoAndLego

[Zeya]

I think I'm going to comment on this once and then never again, just because this is one of those things that won't reach a consensus. Here goes.

I'm an American. It is my understanding that this is mostly and American mistake. Maybe it's because we generally have a crappy education system here; I'm not sure. But I offer this as an explanation. Let's take another brand besides Lego. Let's say Kleenex. It's a brand of tissue paper, but its name has become synonymous with the main product.

"Can I have a couple of Kleenexes, please?" Would that be bad grammar? I'm honestly not sure. But people refer to a single leaf of tissue paper as "a Kleenex".

It happens that people here refer to a Lego brick as "a Lego". It follows that multiple Lego bricks would be referred to as "some Legos". I guess the root of the problem lies in the fact that people think a single Lego brick is "a Lego".

It bears mentioning that I've even seen ads from TRU that use the (non?) word "Legos" right in big red letters. It's become the norm here. The first time I heard about this issue was the very first time I posted on these forums. I typed out "Legos" and someone immediately pointed out that was wrong. Point being, I went my entire life having no idea that "Legos" was incorrect usage. In my mind, the brand and a single brick were one and the same, just like Kleenex. Perhaps somewhere there are AFOKs (adult fans of kleenex) that get riled up in the same way. Ehl oh ehl.

That all being said, I have started making a point even in speech to correctly say "Lego" without the s and "Lego bricks", etc. I just offer this as an explanation of why people say those dirty words.

Well I'm heading home from work now. My girlfriend was offered a job today after much job searching, so I'm in a good mood. I might finish my Imperial Flagship tonight! Take it easy everyone.

[Masked Builder]

Weird. Though it does seem to make sense.

So essentially, the plural of the word 'LEGO' is 'LEGO', but it as a noun is only used in the plural form as 'LEGOs' by someone who doesn't really know what they're talking about; and we the true FOLs use it as an adjective to a different plural noun. LEGO has a plural form, but the proper form of it is never used.

That made my brain hurt but it made sense.

[Brickdoctor]

But doesn't really matter anyways.

Agreed. But we as FOLs have probably learned to be nitpicky about such things. I actually kind of like this and various other problems that non-FOLs have with Legos LEGO, because I don't really care what they think of my obsession, and it's like an instant warning flag as to the their non-FOL state.

'Are those Legos?'

*Uh, oh, non-FOL* 'Yeah. They're kinda my thing.'

'Oh, okay.'

'Is that made from LEGO?'

*Ooh, knows his LEGO grammar* 'Yep, it measures 123.2132 studs long and uses SNOT to do this and STAMPs here for aesthetic detailing...'

'Cool! You know, if you put a BURP here and moved this .5 plates up then you could...'

Not to say that's the only factor in deciding whether the person I'm talking to is a true FOL, but it's one of the factors. Another similar usage is when I hear kid's parents talking like that in the LEGO aisle, and I can use it to decide whether to go look at something else and coming back when they leave so I don't waste time trying to explain my obsession to someone who doesn't care.

That made my brain hurt but it made sense.

Good to know I gave your brain a workout.

[AussieJimbo]

Coke isn't the name of the brand.

"Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in the stores, restaurants, and vending machines of more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola

[Omicron]

"Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in the stores, restaurants, and vending machines of more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke (a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company in the United States since March 27, 1944)."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca-Cola

"Coke may refer to:

Coca-Cola, a soft drink originally based on coca leaf extract

The Coca-Cola Company, makers of this drink

Cola, any soft drink similar to Coca-Cola

Soft drink, any non-alcoholic carbonated beverage"

"A soft drink (also referred to as soda, soda pop, pop, cold drink, carbonated beverage, tonic, coke, or fizzy drink)"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soft_drink

Also note the words "often referred". It means Coke is not it's actual name nor brand.

I'm not gonna argue this any further.

Agreed. But we as FOLs have probably learned to be nitpicky about such things. I actually kind of like this and various other problems that non-FOLs have with Legos LEGO, because I don't really care what they think of my obsession, and it's like an instant warning flag as to the their non-FOL state.

Well umm, I sometimes say Legos. But it usually slips out since I been saying it a lot when I was younger. :P

-Omi

Edited January 14, 2011 by Omicron

[AussieJimbo]

In my view, calling 7Up, Fanta, Mountain Dew or any other non-alcoholic carbonated beverage or soft drink a "Coke" is as wrong as calling Megablocks LEGO.

"Coke" is a registered trademark which is part of the Coca-Cola brand.

:classic:

[Omicron]

"Coke" is a registered trademark which is part of the Coca-Cola brand.

The logo is, yes, but the word isn't due to the common use and plus it being another word for other things, like say cocaine? That's like how Nintendo pulling that whole registered "It's on like Donkey Kong", despite the fact that it was a common saying for 20 years. Yeah they did it, but yanno.

Anyways can we just agree to disagree? Coke means soda. Soda means coke. :P

-Omi

[Brickdoctor]

The logo is, yes, but the word isn't due to the common use and plus it being another word for other things, like say cocaine? That's like how Nintendo pulling that whole registered "It's on like Donkey Kong", despite the fact that it was a common saying for 20 years. Yeah they did it, but yanno.

Anyways can we just agree to disagree? Coke means soda. Soda means coke. :P

-Omi

I agree, although I personally think coke refers to only cola-based sodas. I wouldn't ever go out and ask for a coke when I want ginger ale or root beer.

Anyways, whether or not Coke means Soda, it really doesn't have much to do with this topic.

And as I've said, it doesn't really matter to me whether other people call it LEGO, Lego, or Legos; I know they're called LEGO and I'll continue calling them that but if anyone else wants to call it anything else the meaning is clear and I don't really care.

[blueandwhite]

The logo is, yes, but the word isn't due to the common use and plus it being another word for other things, like say cocaine? That's like how Nintendo pulling that whole registered "It's on like Donkey Kong", despite the fact that it was a common saying for 20 years. Yeah they did it, but yanno.

Anyways can we just agree to disagree? Coke means soda. Soda means coke. :P

-Omi

I don't think there's any actual disagreement here. Coke is a registered trademark that has lost it's distinctiveness. To say that it isn't a brand name is like saying that Xerox or Kleenex aren't brand names either. Just like Coke, those brands have become part of the American lexicon. Consider this; you will never see a Pepsi can with the words Diet Coke on the side simply because the Coke brand still is registered to Coca-Cola. The mark is still legally owned and protected. You can call a Pepsi a "coke" if you choose to; Pepsi can't. Coke isn't just an ordinary word. Compare this to the likes of Aspirin or Zipper which have lost all legal protection and have become truly generic. In either case, LEGO does not want to be in this position.

The important thing is that LEGO has done a pretty good job keeping itself off of this list. I honestly think one good thing about the clone brands gaining a stronger presence in the marketplace is that their brands start to stand apart from the LEGO brand. The last thing we as fans need is the LEGO brand to receive the same treatment as Coke does in many parts of the US. When I say LEGO, I certainly don't want anybody thinking that I'm referring to Mebabloks!

[Artanis I]

I don't think there's any actual disagreement here. Coke is a registered trademark that has lost it's distinctiveness. To say that it isn't a brand name is like saying that Xerox or Kleenex aren't brand names either. Just like Coke, those brands have become part of the American lexicon. Consider this; you will never see a Pepsi can with the words Diet Coke on the side simply because the Coke brand still is registered to Coca-Cola. The mark is still legally owned and protected. You can call a Pepsi a "coke" if you choose to; Pepsi can't. Coke isn't just an ordinary word. Compare this to the likes of Aspirin or Zipper which have lost all legal protection and have become truly generic. In either case, LEGO does not want to be in this position.

The important thing is that LEGO has done a pretty good job keeping itself off of this list. I honestly think one good thing about the clone brands gaining a stronger presence in the marketplace is that their brands start to stand apart from the LEGO brand. The last thing we as fans need is the LEGO brand to receive the same treatment as Coke does in many parts of the US. When I say LEGO, I certainly don't want anybody thinking that I'm referring to Mebabloks!

YES, & THANK YOU.

Also, in regard to LEGO v Lego v lego, if it is spoken as a word it should be in lower case as the rule. If it is an acronym (it isn't) it should be in upper case. If it is spoken as word & is a proper noun (a name) it should be lower case with a capital letter. If it is a contraction (it is: leg godt) it should have apostrophe in the appropriate place. A logo can be in whatever case/punctuation you want, but an invented word as a brand name... ?

[Destroydacre]

I'm not so sure. In the UK at least I've known people doing "mystery shopper" type jobs in various pubs and clubs and one of the explicit tests was that bar staff would inform you they only had Pepsi if you asked for a Coke (and similarly with things like Red Bull if they had a rival brand). I think you can be in legally iffy waters if you sell a different product when asked for a Coke. Cola, on the other hand, is a generic term so in that case it doesn't matter.

It's the same thing here. I don't know if there's actually any legal ramifications, but if you go to a restaurant that serves Pepsi and ask for a Coke, they'll ask if Pepsi is OK.

As for the whole Lego vs. Legos thing, I'm actually pretty surprised that so many people are annoyed by that. Call it Lego or Legos if you want, it makes absolutely zero difference to me. Everyone knows what you're talking about. I can understand why TLC would have a desire for there to be no 's' on the end of Lego, but for the individual person it really doesn't make any difference that I can see.

[The Crazy One]

Honestly, I don't care if calling them Legos offends anyone's sensibilities.

I call the company Lego, and I call the bricks Legos because I play with more than one brick.

But, what about sheep? If you lived on a farm with more than would sheep would you refer to them as sheeps? Its the same principal.

[Brickdoctor]

But, what about sheep? If you lived on a farm with more than would sheep would you refer to them as sheeps? Its the same principal.

Now we all sound like plural sheep specialists.

[The Crazy One]

Now we all sound like plural sheep specialists.

Ah the good old SW forums!

[lifeinplastic]

It's Lego not Legos

[Erik Leppen]

We say building, constructing, playing, etc., but never 'Legoing'.

Depends on the context. In an informal/casual setting (with friends, my parents, my brother) I use the Dutch equivalent of "legoing" all the time and use and conjugate it as a normal verb (I have Legoed etc.). My mother does the same with the Dutch equivalent of the fantasy word "keyboarding" (playing synthesizer). Also it's typical in Dutch to use "computering" as a verb meaning "using the computer" similarly to how "showering" means "using the shower" or "gaming" is "playing computer games". It simple: it's shorter, so it's more practical. :)

Edited January 14, 2011 by Erik Leppen