# To Give **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583 "2008-11-26T18:25:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phedre_no_Delaunay)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/1 "2008-11-26T18:25:55Z")
What happened to the verb “to give”? No one gives anything anymore, everyone “gifts” things. Why? It sounds so moronic to me. Am I the last person on earth who gives gifts rather than gifts gifts? ---
**Author:** ![Mr\_Dalliard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Mr\_Dalliard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr_Dalliard)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 6:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/2 "2008-11-26T18:53:36Z")
This one drives me crazy, too! Especially when someone uses it in reference to really mundane things, like “My sister gifted me half a box of Cheerios…” ---
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/3 "2008-11-26T19:50:22Z")
I think the only context where I don’t mind it is talking about donors to a organization. There language is more smooshy so as to be gracious and not bald-faced. ---
**Author:** ![Hi\_Neighbor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hi_neighbor/32/494_2.png) [@Hi\_Neighbor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hi_Neighbor)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/4 "2008-11-26T19:52:37Z")
I hear this virtually never. The only time is when people say they will “re-gift” an item. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/5 "2008-11-26T19:53:38Z")
I only use “bequeathed unto me” in these situations. ---
**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:** [November 26, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/6 "2008-11-26T20:17:08Z")
Verily, using “gift” as a verb is an abomination in my sight. ---
**Author:** ![Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phedre_no_Delaunay)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 4:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/7 "2008-11-27T16:52:38Z")
For some reason “re-gifting” doesn’t bother me. It’s a term unto itself. It bugs me when it would be used in the place of give; it sounds stilted and bizarre. Like \*\*jerricurrl \*\* said above, or something like “my husband gifted me a coat for Christmas.” I’m glad I’m not alone in hating it. ---
**Author:** ![dawson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ac91a4/32.png) [@dawson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dawson)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/8 "2008-11-27T20:49:08Z")
I really dont gift a shit one way or the other 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Monkey\_Chews](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/65b543/32.png) [@Monkey\_Chews](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monkey_Chews)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 2:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/9 "2008-11-28T02:22:43Z")
I feel like I’ve slipped into a parallel universe. I’ve never heard anyone say they would “gift” something instead of give it. WatchootalkingaboutWillis? ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/10 "2008-11-28T02:34:49Z")
> [@Monkey\_Chews](#): > > I feel like I’ve slipped into a parallel universe. I’ve never heard anyone say they would “gift” something instead of give it. > > WatchootalkingaboutWillis? It’s an American thing, as far as I can tell. Thankfully my wife and her family don’t say it, but it was one of those linguistic quirks that drove me batty when I lived there. ---
**Author:** ![Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/839c29/32.png) [@Phedre\_no\_Delaunay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phedre_no_Delaunay)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/11 "2008-11-28T05:16:49Z")
It’s only recent here in the U.S. And it’s driving me crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Celyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9dc877/32.png) [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2008, 1:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/12 "2008-11-28T13:55:09Z")
Heh, I’m glad to know others don’t like it. I just assumed it must be considered acceptable in the U.S.A., so I wouldn’t complain about it here, but I am happy to know that others hate it too. Hahah @ **Dawson** 😃 Pointless tangent: **Paul Parkhead** - I often tend to notice your name (even although there must be countless places called “Parkhead” in addition to the one I first think of in Glasgow) and it strikes me that I thought you were in the States but now you are in South Lanarkshire. Oh well, another Doper for this side of the pond then. 🙂 Out of sheer nosiness, did you relocate, or was I merely muddled? ---
**Author:** ![PaulParkhead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ea924/32.png) [@PaulParkhead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PaulParkhead)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2008, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/to-give/474583/13 "2008-11-29T02:17:20Z")
> [@Celyn](#): > > Pointless tangent: **Paul Parkhead** - I often tend to notice your name (even although there must be countless places called “Parkhead” in addition to the one I first think of in Glasgow) and it strikes me that I thought you were in the States but now you are in South Lanarkshire. Oh well, another Doper for this side of the pond then. 🙂 Out of sheer nosiness, did you relocate, or was I merely muddled? Heh, no, my username indeed refers to the Parkhead you’re thinking of. I’m from the Glasgow/Lanarkshire area but moved to PA in 2005. In June this year my American wife and I returned to the UK. So yeah, when I first joined the SDMB I was an expat Scot in the USA. Now I’m a Scot in Scotland - a situation I intend to remedy by moving back to London as soon as I win the lottery.