A bear shaped bipedal character from children’s stories. A gruffalo's lower jaw extends beyond the upper jaw with two large upward pointing teeth. The gruffalo has a heart of gold but it's outward appearance is that of one that does not wish to be messed with.
The term gruffalo can be used as a semi-endearment to describe someone who is quite gruff (traditional meaning) i.e. with a temporary but short and snappy introductory temperament. A gruffalo likes to show that he is gruff (by moving things roughly and hunching the shoulders) but is capable of maintaining a
reasonable (if a little gruff)
conversation if you wish to. The gruffalo often appears
in the morning and arrives late at the office so his gruffness is visible to other staff.