In the 1949 short story “Venus and the Seven Sexes” by William Tenn, the author coined the term “griggo” as a Venusian basic sense describing intuitive understanding. Tenn used “griggo” as both a noun and a verb in phrases like “I griggoed his impatience.”

Over a decade later, acclaimed sci-fi author Robert Heinlein published his 1961 novel Stranger in a Strange Land, which introduced the word “grok” with a similar meaning of deep, empathetic comprehension.

Heinlein’s “grok” became hugely influential in 1960s counter-culture and lexicon. When asked if he was inspired by Tenn’s prior “griggo,” Heinlein admitted “It’s possible, very possible.”