Grue

1 definition found

From Jargon File (4.3.1, 29 Jun 2001) [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 grues themselves.
  
     All this folklore is widely known among hackers.