Why saying LayGo is an acceptable way to say LEGOs

Annoyingly Legitimate Syntax And Grammatical Counter Arguments for saying ‘LEGO’.

Since our season of LEGO Masters aired, the ‘LEGO’ vs ‘LayGo’ argument has been topical. But since language is constantly evolving through social conventions, definitions can shift simply by the way people choose to use words. It’s also crazy fun to annoy people and argue over non-sense that no one really cares about. So, I have constructed a few arguments that are completely valid when it comes to the use of the word ‘LEGO’.

A quick Google search tells me there are 60+ words with different pronunciations. So of course, LEGO could have more than one.

LEGO could totally have different pronunciations! The English language is a crazy thing. We have words that have more than one correct way to pronounce them. For example, do you say:

‘Vase’ or ‘vase’? ‘Zebra’ or ‘zebra’? ‘Scone’ or ‘scone’

A quick Google search tells me there are 60+ words with different pronunciations. So of course, LEGO could have more than one.

So, with that in mind, here are three totally acceptable ways to pronounce LEGO: 1. “Lee-go” – Like the word ego. 2. “Ledge-o” – Like the word rego (Registration Abv.) 3. “Lay-go” – Like the Adelaidians, who are 100% phonetically wrong – however, tell that to the words ‘one’, ‘two’ and ‘debt’ which aren’t pronounced the way they are spelt.

No one actually cares, but it sure is fun to argue about it!

Adding an ‘s’ onto LEGO is highly controversial too. This is due to the fact that it’s a brand name and should always be used as an adjective. However, you could argue that many brands become so popular that they become synonymous with their products. Brands such as Band-aid, Panadol, Bubble Wrap, Chapstick, Frisbee and Google are amongst the brands that have been mistaken for the actual product themselves. Search ‘proprietary eponym’ and see just how commonly this occurs.

So I propose that, if we can ask for ‘Bandaids’, move ‘Dumpsters’ and code ‘Microchips’- which are all brands and not products, LEGOs should be an acceptable way to say LEGO elements in casual conversation.

Overall, this argument has the same nature as the pineapple on pizza argument. No one actually cares, but it sure is fun to argue about it! Personally, I am a fan of “creative arguments” and enjoy antagonising my LEGO-know-it-all, Tim. And this argument is just grazing the surface, wait until I tell you about glue and illegal building techniques!