A single action in detail.<br><i>About the action rulebooks <ahref=inform:/doc178.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/help.png></a></i></p>
</td>
</tr></table>
<hr><b>Standard actions concerning the actor's possessions</b><br>Taking inventory <ahref=0_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Taking <ahref=1_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Removing it from <ahref=2_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Dropping <ahref=3_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Putting it on <ahref=4_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, Inserting it into <ahref=5_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a>, <b>Eating</b> <ahref=6_A.html><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Beneath.png></a><p><hr><p><b>Eating <fontcolor="#000080">something</font></b><aname=Eat></a> (<i>past tense</i> eaten)<br>
<p>Eating is the only one of the
built-in actions which can, in effect, destroy something: the carry out
rule removes what's being eaten from play, and nothing in the Standard
Rules can then get at it again.<br><br>Note that, uncontroversially, one can only eat things with the 'edible'
either/or property. Until 2011, the action also required that the foodstuff
had to be carried by the eater, which meant that a player standing next
to a bush with berries who typed EAT BERRIES would force a '(first taking
the berries)' action. This is no longer true. Taking is now only forced if
the foodstuff is portable.<p><hr><p><b>Typed commands leading to this action</b><p>
<pclass="hangingin2">"eat [something preferably held]"</p><pclass="hangingin2">"cronch [something]" <ahref="source:story.ni#line18"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Reveal.png></a></p><pclass="hangingin2">"cromch [something]" <ahref="source:story.ni#line18"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Reveal.png></a></p><p><b>Rules controlling this action</b></p><p>
<pclass="hangingin2">instead of <i>doing something to the cables</i> <ahref="source:story.ni#line53"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/Reveal.png></a></p>
<pclass="hangingin2">check <i>an actor eating</i> <fontcolor="#800000">can't eat clothing without removing it first rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t eat clothing without removing it first rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The can[=0x0027=]t eat clothing without removing it first rule is not listed in the check eating rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000105', 'plus1000105'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000105"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<divid="extra1000105"style="display: none;"><pclass="in2"> <spanstyle="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #8080ff;"> A </span><spanstyle="color: #000066;">"(first taking [the noun] off)[command clarification break]"</span> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t eat clothing without removing it first rule response (A)')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t eat clothing without removing it first rule response (A) is [=0x0022=]New text.[=0x0022=].')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>set</i></div>
<pclass="hangingin2">check <i>an actor eating</i> <fontcolor="#800000">can't eat other people's food rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t eat other people[=0x0027=]s food rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The can[=0x0027=]t eat other people[=0x0027=]s food rule is not listed in the check eating rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000106', 'plus1000106'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000106"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 1</p>
<divid="extra1000106"style="display: none;"><pclass="in2"> <spanstyle="color: #ffffff; font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; background-color: #8080ff;"> A </span><spanstyle="color: #000066;">"[The owner] [might not appreciate] that."</span> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t eat other people[=0x0027=]s food rule response (A)')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t eat other people[=0x0027=]s food rule response (A) is [=0x0022=]New text.[=0x0022=].')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>set</i></div>
<pclass="hangingin2">check <i>an actor eating</i> <fontcolor="#800000">can't eat portable food without carrying it rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('can[=0x0027=]t eat portable food without carrying it rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The can[=0x0027=]t eat portable food without carrying it rule is not listed in the check eating rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i></p>
<br><pclass="hangingin2">carry out <i>an actor eating</i> <fontcolor="#800000">standard eating rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('standard eating rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The standard eating rule is not listed in the carry out eating rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i></p>
<br><pclass="hangingin2">report <i>an actor eating</i> <fontcolor="#800000">standard report eating rule</font> <ahref="javascript:pasteCode('standard report eating rule')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>name</i><ahref="javascript:pasteCode('The standard report eating rule is not listed in the report eating rulebook.[=0x000A=]')"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/paste.png></a> <i>unlist</i> <ahref="#"onclick="showResp('extra1000109', 'plus1000109'); return false;"><imgborder=0id="plus1000109"src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 2</p>
<br>Click on the speech-bubble icons to see the responses, or here to see all of them: <ahref="#"onclick="showAllResp(); return false;"><imgborder=0src=inform:/doc_images/responses.png></a> 5</p>