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In lugnet.loc.uk, Kieran Brady writes:
> Hi there,
> Can someone please tell me what 'BURPS' are?
> I see this term used a lot on Lugnet and don't have the foggiest what it
> means!
> Sorry if this is not the newsgroup to post to, but I figure I'll get a quick
> answer judging by the traffic I've seen here lately.
> Thanks guys.
>
> Kieran Brady
BURPs = Big Ugly Rock Pieces
"BURP" is the most amazingly successful acronym coinage I've seen
come from rec.toys.lego.
Trivia question - who first coined the term BURPs for the Big Ugly Rock Piece
elements?
Answer: r.t.l user Mark Hornblower, in May 1995, used it offhandedly in a
review of 1995 sets. It might have slipped into oblivion, but Derek Schinn
immediately jumped on it and nominated as "acronym of the year" in a post
titled "BURPs" and it has remained a constant part of lego net jargon since.
Todd Lehman suggested a week or two later that BURPs be further characterized
into two sub categories - BURPs and LURPs (little ugly rock pieces - the
smaller, triangular-shaped elements). LURP never quite caught on the way BURP
did.
The success of the term BURP spurred efforts to create similar acronyms, many
of them following the template set by BURP - slightly off-color (relating to
bodily functions) acroynms to describe controversial elements. These include:
CRAPP - Cruddy Ramp and Pit Plate, suggested by Eric Pilcher. (I suggested
that it be redefined recursively, as CRAPPy Ramp and Pit Plate)
POOP (Pieces that could be made Out of Other Pieces, also coined, I believe,
by Todd)
were two of the more successful efforts. But BURP remains as the most
successful LEGO acronymic coinage I can recall.
--
jthompson@esker.com "Float on a river, forever and
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Excuse me, but what are 'BURPS'?
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| Hi there, Can someone please tell me what 'BURPS' are? I see this term used a lot on Lugnet and don't have the foggiest what it means! Sorry if this is not the newsgroup to post to, but I figure I'll get a quick answer judging by the traffic I've (...) (24 years ago, 10-Dec-99, to lugnet.loc.uk)
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