I Go, We Go, He, She, They LEGO

I must apologize to everyone out there whom I may have offended. The mistakes I have made recently are regrettable and embarrassing, yet I promise to do everything within my power to keep them from ever reoccurring.

I’m referring to my vile mistake regarding my pluralization of the word LEGO. I’m currently reading LEGO: A Love Story by Jonathan Bender and came across the following passage:

“Pluralizing the word ‘LEGO’ is one of the most common mistakes made by the average mom buying a set or the dad talking about his kids. It is also one of the largest pet peeves of adult fans.”

He goes on to quote a gentleman by the name of Eric Harshbarger who states, “The word ‘LEGO,’ when used as a noun, should only refer to the company that makes the product. Otherwise ‘LEGO’ is supposed to be used as an adjective. Thus, when referring to the pieces, neither ‘lego’ nor ‘legos’ is correct…rather one should say: ‘LEGO bricks’ or LEGO pieces.’”

I am sooooooooooo sorry.

I have been playing with these things for a long, long time and I have always called the pieces legos. I feel like such a fool. From this point on, in proper reverence to the greatest toy ever made (no this cannot be refuted, I have written it and will not take it back, thus, it is so), I will use the term LEGO according to these rules.

While I am not going to go back and change things which I have already written, please accept this post as a disclaimer that I am nothing but a lifelong true and loyal fan of LEGO and would never mean to harm its reputation or slander it in any way. I knew not what I did when I so haphazardly wrote “legos.”

I sincerely thank Mr. Bender for pointing out the error of my ways and placing my children’s-toy-related grammar back on the straight and narrow. I consider the use of proper terminology as one of the most sacred and established rules of the unwritten nerd code. I now know that to call a LEGO brick a "lego" is tantamount to failing to capitalize Star Wars or saying James Kirk. Where’s the T?

There, now that I got that off my chest I feel like I can move on. I’m sure LEGO will forgive me and would still be quite happy to allow me to continue playing with the LEGO bricks and LEGO pieces I currently own and purchase many LEGO sets in the future.

On a related note, I will, from this point on, not refer to facial tissue as “Kleenex.” I will ask my wife to pass me a tissue. Should someone ask me for a "Kleenex," I will refuse to acknowledge their request and will stare blankly at them until they are so unnerved that they leave.