e-tough guy

An "e-tough guy" is a person seen in massive online games (MMOs) and virtual worlds who gets his avatar all muscled out, gets uber weapons, and then goes around taunting and insulting people because he's so "tough." They have no ability to fight anyone in their actual lives, so they live vicariously through their online persona. Sometimes they will also say that they have "uber programs" or friends in the CIA that can track anyone online, so if a person doesn't give them their demanded respect online, they'll come looking for the offender. This is all a lie.

E-tough guys appeared in chat rooms in the 90s such as on AOL and Prodigy, infesting chat rooms with outrageous claims of physical ability and desire to fight. Moderators of channels would toss them out, but they would get a new handle and come back, starting the process of e-glorification again. By the late 90s when massive online games like Everquest came on the scene, e-tough guys were able to create an avatar that looked like they *wish* they looked, giving greater life to their online tough guy fantasies. Claims involve incredible physical power, sexual ability, and friends in high places that will "get" anyone countering their claims.