LEGO Glossary
Why do I need a Glossary? Well, if you are new to the LEGO community, no doubt you have discovered there are a lot of acronyms. So you can hit the ground running, here is a list of the most common ones to get the ball rolling.
B
Baseplate – Flat plate that is available in various sizes, filled with LEGO studs. Generally used as the starting point for most builds.
Bigfig – Supersized LEGO Minifigures.
Bignette – A scaled-up version of a Vignette. (See Vignette)
Billund – Town in Jutland, Denmark. Where the LEGO headquarters and primary design centre is based.
BL – “Bricklink” is the ‘go-to’ website for LEGO fans. Dedicated to the buying and selling of LEGO spare pars, Minifigures etc.
Blay/Bley -“Bluish Gray/Grey” colour refers to the current LEGO gray/grey. Older version is referred to as the “Old Gray/Grey” colour.
Bley – “Light and dark bluish grey” known as the medium and dark stone colour used by the TLG.
Brick Bracket – Third party product used to display LEGO builds on the wall in your home. See more here.
BOLOCs – “Built Of Lots Of Colours” generally referred to with junior LEGO build where the builder is irrespective of colour. Resulting in a ‘rainbow look’ coloured build.
Brick Built – Whereas the LEGO builder users a variety of elements to create a part instead of a preformed LEGO part.
BURP – “Big Ugly Rock Piece” is a single moulded piece of pre-fab rock-wall.
Bricklink – Is the ‘go-to’ website for LEGO fans, dedicated to the buying and selling of LEGO spare pars, Minifigures etc.
Build – Collective name given to a set or MOC (See MOC).
Brick(s) – The core of LEGO.
C
CC – “Cafe Corner” is a very popular LEGO set with adult fans.
CC – “Classic Castle” a LEGO castle fansite.
CheepJokes – Is an RLFM that provides you with news, reviews and LEGO Masters content from all around the world. CheepJokes is also extremely popular on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Be sure you follow and subscribe!
Cheese Slope – LEGO brick 50746. 1×1 tile with a 33-degree slope, going to 2 plates or 2/3 of a brick high. Also referred to as a cheese wedge or cheese block because the shape resembles a wedge of cheese.
Clone Brands – Are LEGO replica construction toys that are often compatible with LEGO. Not generally well thought of within the LEGO community and despised by LEGO purists.
CMF – “Collectable Minifigure” are individually sold LEGO Minifigures that may be stand-alone or part of a collectable series.
Cracklink – Descriptive name for the Bricklink website bestowed by the LEGO community, referring to its addictive nature.
CSF – “Classic Space Forum”. An online LEGO space fan community.
Custom – A LEGO creation or individual element that uses non-LEGO parts. Modified parts or accessories that haven’t been officially produced or endorsed by TLG. Generally not favoured by LEGO Purists.
Customiser – Fans of LEGO who is not afraid to modify LEGO parts. Again, not supported by LEGO purists.
D
Dark Ages – This time is referred to by AFOL’s as the time spent away from LEGO post-childhood until rediscovery later in life.
Design ID – An identification number TLG uses to catalogue a specific part. (Note – This covers the mould shape, not the colour variant)
Diorama or Dio – Extra large LEGO scene, larger than a Bignette or Vignette. (See also Bignette and Vignette.)
Draft – Common activity at LEGO club meetings. Where LEGO fans each bring a copy of a LEGO set, sort out all of the LEGO elements, and take turns picking the parts they want. An easy way to get the parts you want in larger quantities without buying multiple copies of the set yourself.
DSS – “Dreaded-Sticker-Sheet” (See also STAMP)
Duplo – Oversized LEGO that is designed especially for small hands or ‘baby builders’. DUPLO blocks are also still compatible with traditional LEGO bricks in building.
E
Element (and Element ID) – The element identification TLG uses to catalogue a specific part of the official name for each unique LEGO piece. Unlike Design ID the Element ID colour variant as well.
Erling Brick – Referred to as the “headlight brick”. A staple SNOT element.
G
Greebles – Detailing added to a LEGO creations surface to enhance its appearance. Frequently seen in LEGO space and mecha creations.
GWP – “Gift With Purchase” is generally a small LEGO set or item received with a purchase at a LEGO Certified store. If you send over a certain amount or buy a specific product.
H
Half-Stud Offset – A LEGO building technique that allows building without regard to the standard alignment of studs on a plate, usually achieved with a jumper plate.
I
IMHO – “In My Humble Opinion”. This is a more generic internet language.
Illegal Techniques – LEGO building techniques that break the “rules” for connections between LEGO elements used by official LEGO set designers. Particularly connections that stress the LEGO elements.
Inventory – The common term used to describe a list of parts included in a LEGO set.
J
Jumper Plate – 1×2-stud LEGO plate with only 1 stud in the centre. Useful for half-stud offset building.
L
LDD – “LEGO Digital Designer” is a CAD program that mimics the process of building LEGO to create virtual models. Provided free of charge and can be downloaded onto PC or Mac.
Legal – A LEGO building techniques that follow building guidelines for official LEGO set designers.
LEGO – If you don’t know what this is, then you are clearly lost. Go here to learn more.
LEGOS – The incorrect plural term for LEGO. The official plural form for more than one LEGO element is “LEGO® brand building bricks”. However always refer to one or more LEGO bricks as ‘LEGO‘. But, it could also be acceptable… See more here.
Licensed Theme – Theme based on popular licensed material that LEGO has been granted the rights to reproduce in LEGO form. EG. Star Wars, Disney, Marvel, DC etc…
LLDC – Is the LEGO Discovery Centre. A small LEGO theme park.
LUG – “LEGO-Users-Group”. Local or regional LEGO clubs that meet, build and socialise together. It’s based around their love of LEGO and are officially supported by TLG.
LURP – “Little-Ugly-Rock-Piece”, like a BURP but smaller.
LXF – A LXF file is generated from LDD and can be uploaded to sites such as Bricklink to help order parts for virtual models created in LDD.
M
Macaroni Brick – Round Corner 2 x 2 macaroni with stud notch and as the name suggests looks like a piece of macaroni.
Microfig – Smaller minifigs, generally half the size of regular minifigs from the LEGO Games series.
Microfigure – Tiny Minifigures figures utilised for trophies and stable of the LEGO Architecture theme.
Micropolis – Collaborative building code developed by TwinLUG based around a 16 x 16 stud module which equals 1/4 of a city block. Four modules create a short block in a city.
Each four-module block is ringed with a two stud road. Blocks connected together create a 4 stud wide road. Cars are 2 studs, buses or trucks 4 studs. Scale: 1 brick is 9 feet, 1 plate is 3 feet and one stud is 7.5 feet.
Microscale – Generally builds that are a smaller scale than Minifigures.
Midi Scale – Refers to sets that are between miniature and minifig scale. They do not include Minifigures but are much more detailed than mini sets. So far only Star Wars sets have midi versions.
Minidoll – A variant of the Minifigure that has been tailored especially for female-centric theme sets such as LEGO Friends, Elves, Disney etc.
Minifig Scale – A LEGO creation built for the scale of standard LEGO Minifigures.
Minifigure / Minifigs – Are the standard or blueprint for most set scales and populate the LEGO world. literally thousands of variants and designs and very collectable.
Mocular – Fan built MOC but in keeping with the rules laid out by LEGO in its Modular series.
Modulars – A series of sets designed predominantly around a 32×32 baseplate aimed at AFOLs. Multistore buildings fully enclosed and designed to Minifigure scale. The modular series was launched in 2007 with each modular thereafter connecting together forming a street scene.
M – Acronym
MF – “Minifigure” / “Minifig”. Surely you know what these are?
MISB – “Mint In Sealed Box” is a set straight of the shelf, in perfect, untouched condition.
MOC – “My Own Creation” is a LEGO custom design without instructions. Sometimes with the assistance of software such as LDD. But also a physical creation.
MSRP – “Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price”. The official price for a LEGO set as established by the LEGO Group for a particular market. Individual retailers may set their own prices higher or lower than MSRP, and MSRP may vary from country to country.
MURP – “Mini Ugly Rock Piece”. The smallest ‘URP’. See BURP & LURP.
O
Oh Nice! – What you say when you see some call LEGO.
P
PAB Wall – “Pick-A-Brick” wall at LEGO stores, and LLDC.
Plate – Unlike the thinner one-sided baseplates a plate is a third of the height of a brick and allows for bricks to be connected both underside and topside
Polybag – Usually promotional plastic bags used to promote certain themes with often unique Minifigures or small sets
POOP – “Parts Out of Other Parts”. A term used for large single moulded pieces that are often looked at as being rather ugly and considered prime for being constructed in smaller existing parts
Purist – A LEGO-fan who only uses official LEGO elements. Or a LEGO creation that only contains official LEGO elements with no modifications or custom parts. Contrast with Custom.
Q
Quite nice – A term used to compliment someone’s MOC.
R
Rainbow Warrior – Same as BOLOCs and builds using every colour available to hand.
RLFM – Part of the LEGO Ambassador program. “Registered LEGO Fan Media”. A new term used by TLG to denote an officially recognised online site, that covers LEGO reviews, news etc. Now used for prominent LEGO bloggers. In-fact, BrickBanter.com is an RLFM. Welcome!
RLOC – Also an Ambassador term. “Registered LEGO Online Community”. Another new term used by TLG to denote an officially recognised online LEGO community such as an Instagrammer or YouTuber.
RLUG – “Registered LEGO Users Group”. A term used by TLG to denote a local LUG that is officially recognized by LEGO via the LEGO Ambassador Network.
S
Set – General term, a product released by TLG containing parts, instructions, and most of the time, Minifigures.
SHEFOL – “She-(Female)-Fan-of-LEGO”. (See also AFFOL and FAFOL.)
Sig-fig – AFOL Minifigure version of themselves, both physically and virtual (avatar) in online communities.
SNOT – “Studs Not On Top” is a technique that is used to hide studs by either connecting LEGO elements on their sides or upside down.
STAMP – “Stickers-Across-Multiple-Pieces”. Super annoying…
Stud – The iconic stud which forms part of the LEGO patented LEGO connection system. The round studs are also used as a measuring system i.e. 32×32 stud base plate used for LEGO modular theme.
T
Technic – Another LEGO variant like DUPLO which was introduced in 1977. It is compatible with LEGO and has bled across into traditional LEGO sets extensively. Also adds additional parts such as axles, gears and rods which enables more technical/mechanical models to be built.
TFOL – “Teen-Fan-of-LEGO”.
Theme – Name given to a particular range of LEGO sets that have a common theme such as Nexo Knights, Star Wars, City etc…
Tile – Is a LEGO piece that is smooth with no studs and is the same thickness as a plate.
TLC – Short for “The LEGO Company”.
TLG – “The LEGO Group” parent Company of all things LEGO.
TPP – “Third Party Products” – Products designed to be used with LEGO, which are not owned by The LEGO Group and does not infringe of any IP of The LEGO Group. Eg: LED lights, Brick Bracket and display cases.
U
UCS – “Ultimate Collector’s Series”. A series of large LEGO Star Wars sets designed for older teens and adults. They are larger than minifig scale.
USP – “Unique Selling Point”.
V
Vignette or Vig – A LEGO creation build depicting a moment in time. Usually built on a base plate with an 8 x 8 stud.
W
WIP – “Work-In-Progress”.
X
X – Where the treasure is always hidden.
Z
Z – N/A