POOP

POOP is an acronym for “Piece (that can be built) Of Other Pieces”. It is a complex element created to serve a particular function from an assembly of pieces that LEGO has merged into a single piece.

POOPs appeared gradually throughout the late 80s and 90s. The first parts to be POOPed were simple bricks and plates, but became progressively more complex as time went on.

For instance, the steering part pictured above dates back to 1995. The two other elements date from the end of nineties.

Since a single POOP replaces several parts that perform the same function, the models containing them have fewer pieces and are thus less expensive to produce. However, the pieces are far less versatile than their multi-piece counterparts and can be considerably more rare due to the specialized nature of their use.

The two Technic helicopters 8844 from 1981 and 8412 from 1995 have close to the same number of parts, but the latter contains more POOPed elements and therefore appears to be more realistic(particularly the seats and the back rotor).

POOPs are also used in juniorized sets, to make the models easier to build for small children. Jack Stone is a theme geared toward younger builders which is well known for numerous POOPs.

POOPs are also referred to as “cheat pieces” by AFOLs, since they can make some building easier without requiring any real creativity. One of the best-known (and popular) cheat pieces is the Big Ugly Rock Piece or BURP.

POOPs are sometimes known as SPUDs (Special Purpose Ugly Design), a more negative but equally apt label.