LEGO

  • 65 million LEGO bricks have been used to create Legoland in Billund, Denmark
  • The easiest to build is Duplo, and the hardest is Expert Creator
  • Adult LEGO fans are called AFOL (Adult Fans of LEGO)
  • In March 2020, the Reputation Institute ranked the LEGO Group the most highly regarded company in the world when it comes to corporate reputation
  • There are 915 103 765 combinations of six LEGO bricks in the same colour and size (4 x 2 studs)
  • In 2018 LEGO began manufacturing bricks from bioplastic made from sugarcane. The goal is to have all production from renewable or recyclable material by 2030.

Timeline

  • In 1934, carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen started creating wooden toys.
  • In 1934 he created the word LEGO, after leg godt (meaning play well in Danish).
  • In 1946 he ordered a machine to mould plastic figurines.
  • In 1949 the predecessor to the LEGO brick was created.
  • In 1958, LEGO took out a patent for the famous LEGO interlocking brick.
  • In 1968 Legoland opened in Billund.
  • In 1978 the first LEGO figurine was produced.
  • In 1999 LEGO was named the toy of the century.
  • 2004 saw the introduction of the first figurine without a yellow face. At the same time, LEGO went through a serious financial crisis.
  • In 2014, the LEGO movie premiered.
  • In 2018, LEGO turned 60 and the LEGO figurine turned 40.

I never had LEGO bricks because my parents went for Montini instead. I had no idea it was a LEGO knockoff. I thought it predated LEGO.

Montini building blocks were produced by Berco Lux in Tiel, The Netherlands from 1960-1969 the plastic is much softer and the colors are a little different. In 1969 production was stopped because of the Lego patent.

And, just for Steve – do you say LEGO, or LEGOs?

Author: Janet Carr

Fashion, beauty and animal loving language consultant from South Africa living in Stockholm, Sweden.

5 thoughts

  1. Definitely Lego, if you have more than one it is still Lego, you have one Lego brick, or several Lego bricks. The same as Filofax, if you have more than one you have several Filofax organisers not Filofaxes.

    Thank you for the mention I was just priming myself to comment to that effect!!

      1. One of many!

        Others include on UK TV advertisers that say the amount in numbers without saying the currency.

        The use of phrases such as ‘in branch’ ‘in store’ etc

        Yes I’ve hit the height of being a grumpy old….. !!

  2. It is definitely Lego. There should be no s on the end. This seems to have started in the US.
    You can have a box of Lego bricks or just a box of Lego but it is the collective word for the toy. You would say a piece of Lego for a singular piece.
    I hope I am right as I hate it when people put an S on the end 🤣

Leave a Reply