# Non-judgemental questions about "Americanism" TO GIFT **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [April 12, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825 "2009-04-12T09:15:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 9:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/1 "2009-04-12T09:15:15Z")
Hello - this really is to fight ignorance rather than criticise in any way. I’m a Brit but more pertinent to my question both, a teacher of English as a foreign language (which pretty much ensures a plethora of grammar & spelling errors in this post) and a trainer of others wanting to become EFL teachers - so I do need to have a fair idea what’s going on with the language. This accompanied a photo on the BBC website this morning “Mr Kennedy, a fan of the water dog, is said to have _gifted_ one to the Obamas”. This isn’t the first time I’ve seen this verb but what does “to gift” mean ? More specifically _why_ would you choose to say “gift” in this case rather than “give” -which, given the article tells me that the dog is “from close family friend, Democratic Senator Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts”, would seem more natural to me. What is there a nuance I’m missing ? I see “present” would be too official as this is “between friends” rather than “between senator and president”, “donate” would suggest an act of charity, but “gift” ? (I do believe there is a factual answer to this rather than just it’s American. I heard the adjective “addicting” in California and was ready to dismiss it until it was explained that “addicting” is free of the negative connotations of “addictive” thus to a certain group English speakers while alcohol and cigarettes are addictive watching Desperate Housewives or chocolate are addicting. Now I’m not saying I’d ever teach this but it’s good to _know_ should someone ever ask me about it.) ---
**Author:** ![runcible\_spoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/9fc29f/32.png) [@runcible\_spoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/runcible_spoon)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/2 "2009-04-12T09:30:13Z")
I can see two reasons to use ‘gifted’ over ‘given’. First, in some situations, it’s nice to specify that something is a gift. To give is general enough that it could refer to something handed over but paid for: “The cashier gave me my bag of groceries” would be different from “the cashier gifted me my bag of groceries”. Obviously, that’s an awkward turn of phrase, but there is a difference between the two words. Second, in this case, where ‘given’ wouldn’t really cause confusion, using a specific word instead of a general one gives it that newspaper-y feeling, really. It’s just a stylistic choice, really, but that’s not a bad thing. ---
**Author:** ![Mops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mops/32/16494_2.png) [@Mops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mops)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 9:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/3 "2009-04-12T09:44:27Z")
As a user of English as a foreign language I consider ‘to gift’ useful as it avoids ambiguity between to give in the meanings of ‘to give as a gift’ and ‘to hand over’. ---
**Author:** ![acetylene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@acetylene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/acetylene)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 10:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/4 "2009-04-12T10:24:49Z")
Exactly. If he had a bunch of puppies to get rid of, he may _give_ one to his neighbor, _give_ one to his cousin, and _give_ one to Obama. But if he put a lot of thought into picking out just the right dog, he would _gift_ it to Obama. Still, it’s not something a person would say in casual conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Jones](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/96bed5/32.png) [@Cat\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Jones)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/5 "2009-04-12T10:53:45Z")
OK - so “he gifted them a dog” = he gave them a dog as a present or he gave them a present of a dog. That’s clear, thank you. Would you still use “gift” if the context of “it” being a present was implicit ? eg _Last year he gifted me a book for my birthday._ This sounds clumsy to me but I can see the appeal to non-native speakers who feel “give” is too direct. ---
**Author:** ![Athena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/35a633/32.png) [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/6 "2009-04-12T11:58:39Z")
To my American ears, it sounds like reporter-speak to say something was “gifted.” I’d never use the term myself. It sounds like some sort of made-up phrase. ---
**Author:** ![sailor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a587f6/32.png) [@sailor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sailor)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/7 "2009-04-12T12:29:55Z")
Gifted sounds retarded. What’s wrong with “presented”? Because that’s what I have always heard and used. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/8 "2009-04-12T12:38:20Z")
The nuance difference is pointed out above; I can give you Herpes but generally would not gift you Herpes. Use of “gift” in the latter instance would be for the purpose of deliberately conveying irony. Nevertheless use of “gift” instead of “give” as a transitive verb strikes me as stilted. In the context you cite, it does not add clarity, and it’s probably just a preference. I did not realize its use is peculiar to Americans; I’ve always seen the British as a little more hoity toity with their preferences. Is “judgemental” an alternate spelling for Brits? ---
**Author:** ![psychonaut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/psychonaut/32/4655_2.png) [@psychonaut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/psychonaut)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/9 "2009-04-12T12:49:46Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > The nuance difference is pointed out above; I can give you Herpes but generally would not gift you Herpes. Note to self: Do not sleep with **Chief Pedant**. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/10 "2009-04-12T13:04:17Z")
I understand the “give/gift” distinction being drawn, but the only time I could see a possible use for it would be in a photo caption or suchlike where word count was an issue. Otherwise, I’d say “made a gift of the dog” or “gave the dog as a gift.” “Gift” as a verb strikes me as a damned uneuphonious neologism. ---
**Author:** ![hibernicus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hibernicus/32/2802_2.png) [@hibernicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hibernicus)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/11 "2009-04-12T13:23:03Z")
The verb “to gift” is used, not just in America, in a context where the legal or tax implications of the transfer are considered relevant. This would not apply in the case of the Obamas’ dog, however. ---
**Author:** ![Wendell\_Wagner](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/8491ac/32.png) [@Wendell\_Wagner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wendell_Wagner)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/12 "2009-04-12T14:10:34Z")
Is this actually an Americanism? I’m not sure if I’ve ever heard anyone say it. I’ve mostly seen it on the SDMB. It could be that it’s only common among people younger than me, or it could be that it’s restricted to some particular social set. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/13 "2009-04-12T14:15:13Z")
I"m familiar with it as a legalism, where it is important to be precise in the words used. However, when I see it in common usage, it grates on me. ---
**Author:** ![Varrius](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/e9a140/32.png) [@Varrius](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Varrius)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/14 "2009-04-12T14:45:27Z")
The only time I’m familiar with the use as a verb would be to \*\*re-\*\*gift something. (Not condoning the practice, that would be for another thread.) ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/15 "2009-04-12T15:08:00Z")
> [@Cat\_Jones](#): > > OK - so “he gifted them a dog” = he gave them a dog as a present or he gave them a present of a dog. That’s clear, thank you. > > Would you still use “gift” if the context of “it” being a present was implicit ? eg _Last year he gifted me a book for my birthday._ This sounds clumsy to me but I can see the appeal to non-native speakers who feel “give” is too direct. As ws noted, it carries the connotations of “to give as a completely free gift without strings attached, not as a consideration” and "to give after careful choice. It’s a very uncommon word in colloquial speech, used in writing or in repertorial narrative where it’s important to draw the nuance the connotation suggests. I might give you a quarter dollar to feed the parking meter when you find yourself without change. But I would gift you with the mirror-finish proof quarter dollar struck on your birth year, in a presentation case, that I ordered especially from **samclem** to be the perfect gift for you. ---
**Author:** ![Reply](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/reply/32/15952_2.png) [@Reply](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reply)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/16 "2009-04-12T16:05:48Z")
> [@Cat\_Jones](#): > > I heard the adjective “addicting” in California and was ready to dismiss it until it was explained that “addicting” is free of the negative connotations of “addictive” thus to a certain group English speakers while alcohol and cigarettes are addictive watching Desperate Housewives or chocolate are addicting. Where’d you hear that? Sounds like a lame excuse someone made up after the fact. Not that it’d make Californianisms any less addicting. You Brits keep your prim and proper English; we’ll just keep evolving ours 😃 ETA: IMO “addicting” is free of negative connotations only because it reached critical mass, not because of a subtle-but-important difference in meaning. Language of the people, nya! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/17 "2009-04-12T16:16:04Z")
American here, and I hate the phrase. It sounds like something coined by gift shops and retail stores. Ugh. Fortunately, I don’t hear it too often. ---
**Author:** ![Ximenean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/aca169/32.png) [@Ximenean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ximenean)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 4:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/18 "2009-04-12T16:33:32Z")
Perhaps the OP is referring to the way some English speakers brazenly use nouns as verbs. “Gifted”, “architected”, “mothballed”, “leveraged”… there are countless examples. And perhaps American English speakers are more comfortable with this practice of converting nouns to verbs than British English speakers? It certainly seems like a lot of them originate in American business speak. ---
**Author:** ![Polycarp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/82dd89/32.png) [@Polycarp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polycarp)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/19 "2009-04-12T16:48:08Z")
“Verbing weirds language.” - Calvin ---
**Author:** ![friedo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/8edcca/32.png) [@friedo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/friedo)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2009, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825/20 "2009-04-12T16:48:31Z")
“Gift” is not a verb, and anybody who uses it as such is officially off my Christmas list. :mad: [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/non-judgemental-questions-about-americanism-to-gift/492825.md?page=2)