to ask what the worst present you ever had was

[Justforlaughs]

When I first started seeing my now DH, he asked what I wanted for my birthday. I answered "nothing" and I got it! I've also been given a size 10 bikini (when I was a size 16), by a Great Aunt and a hose reel by my MIL. What strange things have you been given?

[verytellytubby]

A smelly Stilton in a mug. It leaked all over my clothes when I opened it.

It was disgusting.

[Megglevache]

An OPENED tube of Vagisil (sp ?)
I toyed with the idea of shaving a thread or two off my mohair jumper to attach to the lid before showing my DH what his delightful mother had bought me for my birthday

[desperateforaholiday]

My grandma once gave me a home emergency book, the following year a fire blanket. I dont think she had much confidence in me to live on my own

[float62]

A few years ago ds (aged 4) and I had a housing crisis and were living in one room only - just the one room. Dsis gave ds a battery operated musical fish that also had a fan that blew out little paper fish that you were supposed to run around and catch. What a fun toy giving ds hours of fun playing the same tune over and over. I think she thought it was funny.

[SamuelWestsMistress]

A frying pan for valentines day.

[FolkElf]

This year I was given 3 pairs of knickers size 16-18.

I've never been bigger than a 12!

[theodorakisses]

wrote inside it obviously

[theodorakisses]

I have received the same book 3 times from my mum in recent birthdays and Christmas. I originally gave it to her, a lot of thought went into it. She then regifted it (with same wrapping paper) to me at Christmas so I did the same on her birthday and have now had it back for a third time this Christmas! But, I think she may be onto me, she wrote "to Theo, Happy 2012 Christmas, love Mum" this time....
I love her to bits by the way

[Primadonnagirl]

Just laughed my tea out of my nose reading some of these!blue raincoat and Fab41 posts just had me laughing out loud! Not had any really bad presents but did have a Christmas present disaster once when all the gifts I'd bought and wrapped and put in a bin bag accidentally went to the tip!We didn't realise till next day either...miserly ex husband insisted we go back the next day and begged the staff to open the huge bins so we could fish them out...the look on everyone's faces!!! Miraculously they all survived..ex did let me re wrap them though cos even he couldn't bear the smell!

[TapirAroundTheChristmasTree]

From various relations of dh over the last couple of xmas's

A pack of paper xmas hankies
A cardboard xmas decoration
A sachet of cheese nacho dip mix (can't eat cheese)
A used & torn handbag
A blouse, size 22 (was size 8 at the time)
A tampon holder for a handbag....

[jteee]

My crazy wretch of an ex H gave me his towels collection from the Shell petrol station that his parents had saved tokens and amassed for him.
All of them were near enough threadbare, had his HST initials all over, or his full name, and were so overused, washed, and tumbled that they were like using the toilet brush on your face!

[TheSilverPussycat]

pineapple that was kind of sweet of him :)

bubby that's what comes of living in a house of males - I guess they just don't get it.

[bubby64]

The blender I got from DH last year!! Mine broke 3 weeks before Chrismas, and he and DS's (who were only just 11 at the time) thought it would be a good idea to buy a new one for my christmas pressie, I tried to look excited and please, I really did, but couldnt bring myself yo use it for almost 2 months after christmas!!

[pineapplecrush]

My husband - boyfriend at the time - left it, as usual a little on the late side to buy my Christmas present. It was at the time when the Body Shop had the select your own bottles of shower gel etc and the shop would pack the products into a pretty basket. Very popular in its time. However, he left it so late on Christmas Eve, they didn't have time to do the basket and was so desperate he took the products and attempted to do it himself. Upon opening the clingfilm fell off and straw fell on to the carpet - "have they had the nerve to charge you for this packaging" I asked him. Looking sheepish, he admitted it was his own handiwork. Mmm.

Have learnt to be careful what I say I like. Mentioned I liked Des Lynam's commentary once. Got his autobiography for my birthday.

[PimpMyHippo]

when I was about 7 my gran gave me a roasted chicken and a hand-knitted jacket with a lead for my hamster.

That sounds amazing! I would ROAR if someone gave me a knitted hamster-coat!

[50shadesofmeh]

Husbands gran handed us a gift bag one year that contained an original 70's brown and orange jazzy bath towel and a tin of spam , no joke.
She was losing a bit at the time though, bless her, but very uncomfortable trying not to laugh.

[BegoniaBampot]

A colonic irrigation.

[pleasestoptalking]

when I was about 7 my gran gave me a roasted chicken and a hand-knitted jacket with a lead for my hamster.

maybe not my worst present but probably my weirdest. Hammy wasn't pleased with the bodywarmer either and refused to wear it.

[mamamibbo]

a box of food from my gran when i had a baby (in 2010)....everything was at least 6 months out of date and the oldest was a packet of noodles with a best before of august 1986, ive kept them

[fuzzpig]

That would annoy me too pandemoniaa - my post wasn't meant in a "you're ungrateful if you don't want a dictionary" way BTW, just that I would love one myself! Well, a huge good quality dictionary anyway.

Your PIL sound quite unkind :(

[pleasestoptalking]

My husband's granny gave me a retractable duster and demonstrated how it should be used....

Dh uses it sometimes.

[Pandemoniaa]

I have seen dictionaries mentioned numerous times - I would love one!

Dictionaries are invaluable. But since we are not a family who could ever be accused of having a shortage of reference books (including a whacking great version of the OED) - and PIL knowing this and often commenting unfavourably - they knew that my dcs were already well supplied. And with far better dictionaries than the awful, cheapo versions that they clearly bought at the pound shop. They were deeply passive aggressive were the PIL and nothing ever came without an ill-concealed hidden meaning.

Although to be fair, at least they didn't commit some of the present-giving horrors described on this thread. The used items and out of date food are just eye-watering! As are those rude people who announce they've no use for a present and re-gift it to the original giver!

[fuzzpig]

I thought of this thread yesterday - I was in Victoria station and somebody walked past holding a book called "100 Potato Recipes" :o

[fuzzpig]

I was promised a congratulations present for my first GCSE result (we took ICT early)... new flooring that I loved (had never had so much as a lick of paint in my room before). Great, very exciting... but I had to pay for it myself.

[fuzzpig]

DH used to work for Boots, one January somebody brought in a toiletries gift set that he wanted to exchange. Fair enough. DH looked it up on the system and it transpired it hadn't actually been manufactured for 7 years! This man's family had been regifting it annually since then :o