Lego Language

There are some posts that just make you write your own. Such is the case with Giles Turnbull’s recent piece on Lego terminology.

Every family, it seems, has its own set of words for describing particular Lego pieces. No one uses the official names. “Dad, please could you pass me that Brick 2×2?” No. In our house, it’ll always be: “Dad, please could you pass me that four-er?”

And I’ll pass it, because I know exactly which piece he means. Lego nomenclature is essential for family Lego building.

“Dad, I’m building a roof for the medical pod, but I need a hinge-y bit to make it open up. You know, one of those four-er flat hinge-y bits.”

Raimi often builds spaceships but has never referred to the pieces by name, until prompted by his father—at which point he reveals that he possesses names for all of them in his head.Yes I do know. I’ll keep my eye out for one, I say. And do you want this flat groovy piece to go on the top there, behind your lasers?

“Oh, thanks Dad.”

I remember our own language. The block above was a 2by4redlow. Makes sense, yeah? And I was always frustrated when people called many pieces legos, not lego (the plural of moose is moose!). Off the top of my tired  head I can’t think of any other situations where groups develop their own sub-lanuage, and have to rapidly learn other’s system. Anybody?

Anyhow, good to know that some things remain important. Like building that lego gas station.

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Tagged as: language, lego, terminology, vocabulary