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grue

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grue


  1  definition  found 
 
  From  Jargon  File  (4.2.3,  23  NOV  2000)  [jargon]: 
 
  grue  n.  [from  archaic  English  verb  for  `shudder',  as  with 
  fear]  The  grue  was  originated  in  the  game  {Zork}  (Dave  Lebling  took 
  the  name  from  Jack  Vance's  "Dying  Earth"  fantasies)  and  used  in  several 
  other  {Infocom}  games  as  a  hint  that  you  should  perhaps  look  for  a  lamp, 
  torch  or  some  type  of  light  source.  Wandering  into  a  dark  area  would 
  cause  the  game  to  prompt  you  "It  is  very  dark.  If  you  continue  you  are 
  likely  to  be  eaten  by  a  grue."  If  you  failed  to  locate  a  light  source 
  within  the  next  couple  of  moves  this  would  indeed  be  the  case. 
 
  The  grue,  according  to  scholars  of  the  Great  Underground  Empire,  is 
  a  sinister,  lurking  presence  in  the  dark  places  of  the  earth.  Its 
  favorite  diet  is  either  adventurers  or  enchanters,  but  its  insatiable 
  appetite  is  tempered  by  its  extreme  fear  of  light.  No  grues  have  ever 
  been  seen  by  the  light  of  day  and  only  a  few  have  been  observed  in 
  their  underground  lairs.  Of  those  who  have  seen  grues,  few  have  survived 
  their  fearsome  jaws  to  tell  the  tale.  Grues  have  sharp  claws  and  fangs, 
  and  an  uncontrollable  tendency  to  slaver  and  gurgle.  They  are  certainly 
  the  most  evil-tempered  of  all  creatures;  to  say  they  are  touchy  is  a 
  dangerous  understatement.  "Sour  as  a  grue"  is  a  common  expression, 
  even  among  themselves. 
 
  All  this  folklore  is  widely  known  among  hackers. 
 
 




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