Gifting?

Hear, hear.
I loathe this American thing of “verbalising” nouns.

I have a neighbour who is always on the scrounge on FB,it's always does anyone have a...it was a rabbit hutch,dogs paddling pool,now it's does anyone have an iPad they don't want..why shouldn't she pay for them like everyone else..

Don’t usually join in on pedants” corner but perhaps instead of either term, use that of scrounging

I rather like this, intentional giving with the purpose of delighting rather than just handing over.

Agree with this principle though have never come across this scrounging.

Without meaning to derail, I much dislike the use of 'gift' for 'present'. Surely we give Christmas / birthday presents, not gifts?? 3 letters shorter I suppose.

grandMattie

Hear, hear.
I loathe this American thing of “verbalising” nouns.

Me too!

‘Gifting’ is everywhere now, and I hate it! Hardly anyone says ‘presents’ any more either - it’s so often *gifts’.
Bring back presents, and the giving of presents!

keepcalmandcavachon

I rather like this, intentional giving with the purpose of delighting rather than just handing over.

Yes, I see this and can agree. If it's a sparkling new (or especially lovely) gift (such as a fabulous artwork or the dishwasher we bought for my daughter and son in law when they moved house after getting married) but if it was my old well used washing machine it would be, more likely, "given away".

Too many of those hoping to receive these ‘gifts’ will sell them.

I would be bothered by 'et al', which only applies to persons, not things.

As for "gifting" I found this:

Gift as a verb has a 400-year history of use and means “to present someone with a gift.” Some feel strongly that give is the correct word, but gift-as-a-verb is an acceptable and efficient alternative. Since the 1990s the word has surged in popularity, perhaps in part because of a well-known Seinfeld episode concerning “regifting” and “degifting.”

However, this was on the Merriam-Webster site and is therefore American, but 400 years would take it back to pre-Noah Webster so, by definition is British English as well.

As is un- inviting 😫

Cabbie21

Too many of those hoping to receive these ‘gifts’ will sell them.

Yes, indeed - too often the case.

Gwyllt

Don’t usually join in on pedants” corner but perhaps instead of either term, use that of scrounging

Haha yes, as that’s exactly what it is.

JackyB

I would be bothered by 'et al', which only applies to persons, not things.

I stand corrected.

Same scroungers who do Go Fund Me.

Sorry winterwhite, I like the sound of the word 'gift' although I use both.

I think the items given on Freecycle.org or Facebook are not really "gifts" in my thinking - however pleased we might be to have them. They are certainly kindly given though.

Much better to recycle than to use landfill why not GIFT anything you no longer need. In my experience people are always very grateful.

NotSpaghetti

I think the items given on Freecycle.org or Facebook are not really "gifts" in my thinking - however pleased we might be to have them. They are certainly kindly given though.

They aren't gifts, IMO - they are usually offered to save the 'giver' having to pay to dispose of them. Which, of course, is absolutely fine, as it results in a win/win situation. I find it irritating when people come over all martyred about it though.

I do understand people feeling uncomfortable when they see requests for things. It does seem like scrounging, particularly when the askers are very specific about what they want - smart TV, matching single wardrobes or whatever. But at the same time, someone somewhere might be looking forward to getting rid of just such an item, but can't easily get it to the tip, or doesn't want to pay the (often large) fees for the council to take it away. It does no harm to ask, although I can't imagine being comfortable with doing so myself.

A couple of years ago I joined a few 'freecycle' type sites in connection with a charity I was supporting, and was surprised at the things on offer - half bags of nappies, tubs of formula baby milk, food bought on BOGOF that it turned out wouldn't get used etc. When people are in need, every little helps, and there is no reason why someone struggling to set up home on a very tight budget shouldn't want to make it as nice as possible for herself and her children.

Flippin2

I have a neighbour who is always on the scrounge on FB,it's always does anyone have a...it was a rabbit hutch,dogs paddling pool,now it's does anyone have an iPad they don't want..why shouldn't she pay for them like everyone else..

Not that this actually has anything to do with Pedant's Corner, but two reasons spring to my mind:
they may not be able to afford to buy new or second-hand expensive items
or
they may feel it is evironmentally better to get the use out of household machines as long as possible rather than them just being dumped or destroyed.

But I do much prefer giving to gifting, from the linguistic point of view.

I dislike the use of the word “Gift” for “Present “ - only because of its meaning in German😂😂😂

Sanmrbro

I dislike the use of the word “Gift” for “Present “ - only because of its meaning in German😂😂😂

I had to look it up, have never know that!

I prefer gift. Present to me is rather formal i.e. presenting something