Answers.Body: <p>The minifigure is so-called because the original LEGO "Family" figures that were released in 1974 where somewhat larger, with bodies made from 2x2 Bricks, and arms made from hinged tubes.</p>
  
  <p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/Zvg6p.png" alt="Original LEGO figure"></p>
  
  <p>There's a bit more of a condensed history in the <a href="https://bricks.stackexchange.com/tags/minifigures/info">minifigure tag wiki</a>, and there is a bit more information about the minifigure as we know it today in the <a href="http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/lego-group/company-profile/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Company Profile</a></p>
  
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-25T23:23:07.380Z
Answers.Text: It almost begs the question "Where are they now?".  I'm assuming the grandmother passed away.
Answers.UserDisplayName: LarsTech
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-25T23:31:36.497Z
Answers.Text: @LarsTech There's a set of (most of) them up in my loft mixed in with the rest of my System LEGO bricks ;)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-27T10:15:47.007Z
Answers.Text: Dearly de-parted grandma. May she rest in pieces. ;-)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Kramii
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-04-02T14:22:50.117Z
Answers.Text: There are now also even smaller figures used in the board games. Nanofigs?
Answers.UserDisplayName: Lunatik
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-04-02T18:51:04.943Z
Answers.Text: @Lunatik Those are called microfigures or Microfigs for short :)
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2014-03-06T08:55:09.660Z
Answers.Text: The pieces used to make the arms have later been used in Classic Space sets. It can be seen [here](http://letsbuilditagain.com/instructions/6882/).
Answers.UserDisplayName: S.L. Barth is on codidact.com
Answers.ContentLicense: CC BY-SA 3.0
Answers.CreationDate: 2012-02-25T20:21:42.970Z
Answers.LastActivityDate: 2012-02-25T20:26:46.287Z
Answers.LastEditDate: 2017-04-13T12:47:56.213Z
Answers.UserDisplayName: Zhaph - Ben Duguid
Body: <p>Were larger-scale LEGO figures the standard at some point in the past? It just seems odd to me that they're called "mini" when they're basically the only kind of LEGO figures available (not counting vastly larger figures that are themselves models.)</p>
  
Tags: <minifigures><history>
Title: Why are they called "minifigs"?
UserDisplayName: Ernest Friedman-Hill
ThreadText: # Why are they called "minifigs"?
  
  (Asked by: username_0 on 2012-02-25)
  
  Were larger-scale LEGO figures the standard at some point in the past? It just seems odd to me that they're called "mini" when they're basically the only kind of LEGO figures available (not counting vastly larger figures that are themselves models.)
  
  **Tags:** minifigures, history
  
  
  ---
  
  ## 1 answers
  
  ### Answer by username_1 on 2012-02-25. Score: 19 | Accepted answer
  
  The minifigure is so-called because the original LEGO "Family" figures that were released in 1974 where somewhat larger, with bodies made from 2x2 Bricks, and arms made from hinged tubes.
  
  ![Original LEGO figure](https://i.sstatic.net/Zvg6p.png)
  
  There's a bit more of a condensed history in the [minifigure tag wiki](https://bricks.stackexchange.com/tags/minifigures/info), and there is a bit more information about the minifigure as we know it today in the [Company Profile](http://aboutus.lego.com/en-us/lego-group/company-profile/)
  
  > **Comments:**
  > **username_2**: It almost begs the question "Where are they now?".  I'm assuming the grandmother passed away.  
  > **username_1**: @username_2 There's a set of (most of) them up in my loft mixed in with the rest of my System LEGO bricks ;)  
  > **username_3**: Dearly de-parted grandma. May she rest in pieces. ;-)  
  > **username_4**: There are now also even smaller figures used in the board games. Nanofigs?  
  > **username_1**: @username_4 Those are called microfigures or Microfigs for short :)  
  > **username_5**: The pieces used to make the arms have later been used in Classic Space sets. It can be seen [here](http://letsbuilditagain.com/instructions/6882/).  
  
  ---
  
  