If you have a question about the meaning of LEGO, prepare to be surprised at what this four-letter word really stands for.
A vital part of most people’s childhood (and adulthood as well, with their range of collectibles inspired by film and TV), the sometimes dangerous brick-building game may be presented in our pop culture that very few have stopped to think what LEGO really means.
Specially, the Danish brand funded by carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen wasn’t all about building toys. Not originally, anyway.
Because of the global financial crisis of 1929, it forced Kristiansen to think outside the box and come up with new ways to keep his business afloat.
By 1935, the toys branch of his business had become so profitable that Christiansen decided to come up with a new name for it.
According to LEGO’s website, “Kristiansen allegedly holds a competition among his employees to find a good name for the business. The competition winner (who can claim the prize of a bottle of Ole Kirk Christiansen’s homemade wine) is … Ole Kirk Christiansen himself.”
Christiansen’s winning entry in the competition was a blend of the Danish words ‘LEG GODT’ which means ‘Play Well’ and the new name is ‘officially used’ from January 1936.
“The intention of the name is to reflect quality and children’s right to enjoyable play,” LEGO’s site noted.
One Twitter/X user said: “That is interesting,” while another added: “Fun with linguistics.”
A third joked: “I thought it meant foot killer.”
“I thought it meant ‘painful at 2am,” a fourth said.
And a final commented: “Synonym: floor weapon. Painful when stepped on.”
