Winter scene of grue at Verulam Lake, St Albans, Hertfordshire
The word grue has a number of meanings, now mainly dialectal. Last week, it was one of Robert Macfarlane‘s Words of the Day, using its wintry definition of “the mushy ice that forms & floats on the surface of rivers, ponds, pools & puddles when a slight thaw follows a period of cold weather (Scots)”. The etymology of the word in this meaning is unknown.
Copyright Debbie Smyth, 6 February 2019
Posted as part of Tuesday Photo Challenge
Travel with Intent 
A new word for me!!
The only time I visited Verulam Lake was on a very similar day — long, long time ago.
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A common British winter feature – I’m surprised that the word is mainly used in Scotland – the mushy ice bit is more typically English!
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I thought of gruel too…..mushy tasteless meal. Fabulous photo I felt cold and lonely 🙂
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Oh dear – I’ll try to bring something more cheerful tomorrow, no promises mind you
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I do need a bit of cheer up at the moment. I should get into my photos to distract me
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Oh dear. Yes, fiddling with camera or editing usually works for me.
And I promise some cute animals tomorrow 🙂
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Thanks Debbie 😀
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Nice one Debbie
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Phantastic images. Love that style
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Thanks for passing this on Debbie – shall remember it as goo with ice.i love the 50 50 reflection
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Lovely, ethereal shots. So if it’s only a bit that way, would it be gruesome? 🙂
janet
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Hee hee!
And actually, you are kind of right, as well as funny – gruesome comes from another meaning of grue. Though, I think many of might fond the icy weather pretty gruesome too.
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Well,that’ s a new one on me… grue, gruel??
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Now gruel is an interesting one. I’m off to check its etymology….
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Does;t seem to be related, despite such similarity.
Though we might put the together is so far as we don’t like either of them ?!
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Let me know wht you turn up…
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