Acronym for "
Adult Fan(s) of
Lego". An AFOL is a
grownup person, such as a
teenager or >20something, who retains an appreciation for the finest
toy ever to spring from
Denmark. Anyone interested in meeting or
lurking around
AFOL's should investigate the
Usenet groups
rec.toys.lego or
alt.toys.lego, and the
Lugnet website (at www.lugnet.com).
Most AFOL's go through a "dark age", between their childhood playing with the stuff, and their rediscovery of it as an adult. This can occur as a result of going away to college, parental disapproval or peer pressure, or just stuff (My personal dark age was very short, only about 6 months).
Recently, with the introduction of Mindstorms, AFOL's have regained a little respect from muggles and fellow geeks alike. It's more like "computer programming", and therefore more acceptable I guess, than just "playing with legos again".