In Nethack, there is a command (i think under comma or semicolon) where you stand on an item and it tells you what it is. That is, what the character knows about the item. It helps when I run into an unfamiliar term.

It was quite unexpected that a hatchet is used up after you kill a monster with it and you need to go find another one. Same with boots/mitts, they somehow disappear, and I’m not sure they should. There is no descriptive message to know when exactly this happens, too.