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AIBU?

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Original poster

It’s GIVEN not GIFTED FFS !!!

494 replies

TriflePudding · 15/02/2021 18:19

Oh god it’s all over Facebook and it’s driving me crazy - “I have here to gift ...a tatty old sofa I can’t be arsed to get rid of myself so I’m fobbing it off on someone else”
or “I have been gifted a bag of baby clothes but they are too small, does anyone know if anyone in need ?”
Or “looking to gift some donations to local women’s refuge/children’s hospital- who do I get in touch with ?”

JUST FUCK OFF !! Say “given” and while we are at it just donate stuff quietly without any fanfare !

YABU - it is perfectly acceptable to use “gifted” as a verb

Or

YANBU - the word “gifted” being used as a verb was invented by Beelzebub himself.

Please feel free to add your own !

OP posts:
Thread gallery
13
rawalpindithelabrador · 15/02/2021 19:46

Reach out. No fucker ever contacts anyone anymore.

EvenMoreFuriousVexation · 15/02/2021 19:47

I'm always really torn on this because as much as I love the correct use of language, and I strive to use correct forms of speech in a business or formal setting, I also embrace that language does evolve - and that flexibility is precisely what makes English one of the most widely-spoken languages in the world.

I believe that our hodgepodge language is a direct result of the number of invasions we've been subject to throughout history and the resulting diversity of English. What we think of as "English", in fact, is largely derived from Latin, French, German and Norse. It is what makes English so hard to learn, and also what makes it a joy to read and savour.

Verbs, adjectives and nouns have a long and noble history of being forced into doing double (and sometimes triple) duty. And each time that's happened, contemporary readers and writers have complained and bemoaned the corruption of our fair language.

If you're interested, some excellent and very readable (ha!) books on how English developed are:
Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
Gallimaufry: A Hodgepodge of Our Vanishing Vocabulary by Michael Quinion
Port Out, Starboard Home also by Michael Quinion
The Secret Life of Words by Henry Hitchings

Tl;dr - it's nothing new!

Ormally · 15/02/2021 19:47

To those not liking 'curated', I've also seen 'cohorted' in the same kind of sentence (surely mixed up with 'curated'?)

CarlottaValdez · 15/02/2021 19:48

Aaarrgh, can I get ... I always want to say, "It's over there - help yourself

But why? Get doesn’t mean the same as get yourself? Again, presumably you can cope with people saying “what did you get for Christmas”?

littlepattilou · 15/02/2021 19:50

@Lavender2018

I got it “for free” grates on me
I don't get the problem with that one tbh......

What else would you say to something that was given you for free? Confused

Also, 'I need to make a move' doesn't bother me.

'Picky bits' sets my teeth on edge.

I have loads more. I'll have a think!

littlepattilou · 15/02/2021 19:51

Ooh yeah 'reach out' (to someone) is VERY annoying!

Imissthegym · 15/02/2021 19:51

I presume people are saying gifted, in this sense anyway, to emphasise how wonderful and charitable they are rather than account of a poor grasp of the English language?

My Facebook is full of virtual signalling by gifting shit to people in need. It generally is shit that they couldn’t give away but by gifting it rather than giving it it makes it sound like it’s worth having.

RoaryMouth · 15/02/2021 19:52

@Finfintytint that’s my one - sourced. Hate it. Also hate ‘plated/plating up’. You’re in your kitchen, not some fancy restaurant.

RoaryMouth · 15/02/2021 19:54

‘Gentle reminder’ in an email. FFS just tell me. To do it/reply/whatever.

Also hate ‘picky bits’. Confused Makes me think of someone’s horrible, manly feet.

IAcceptCookies · 15/02/2021 19:54

To all the posters (and there have been a few) wailing that “invite” is only ever a verb, and invitation only ever the correct associated noun, well... you’re just wrong.
Invite has been used, as a noun for at least a couple of centuries. It’s informal, but still in the dictionary.

Here’s a snapshot from the CED, but you’ll find similar in any good dictionary.

It’s GIVEN not GIFTED FFS !!!
2bazookas · 15/02/2021 19:55

kudo, and its fake plural "kudoes".

RoaryMouth · 15/02/2021 19:55

Meant to be ‘manky’ feet. Could be manly or not...

campion · 15/02/2021 19:56

Worse when they mean worst.

Whoever said one shouldn't look down on people who haven't had as good an education as those posting; UK education is compulsory for twelve years until recently and is now fourteen years.
It's not unreasonable to expect a working ability in the English language. Innit.

PussyCatInChristmasStockings · 15/02/2021 19:56

"My bad"
What you really mean is you're wrong and you apologise (at least that's how I understand it, but then I'm 48 and don't understand)

Biffbaff · 15/02/2021 19:57

OED disagrees with some of the so-called pedants on here.

It’s GIVEN not GIFTED FFS !!!
It’s GIVEN not GIFTED FFS !!!
Mrgrinch · 15/02/2021 19:57

Well isn't it nice to know people are complete arseholes.

You're all pathetic. I left school at 12, am I not worthy to speak now because I might use the wrong word?

Funny how those with the most education are often the least pleasant because of it. Knowing how to use the right words doesn't make you superior.

Amedgr8t · 15/02/2021 19:58

great write up

Original poster
TriflePudding · 15/02/2021 19:58

I’m glad to see I’m not alone in this !

Smile

EvenMoreFuriousVexation

Those book links are fab, i will try and check some of them out !

OP posts:
2bazookas · 15/02/2021 19:59

I can't bear it that half of mumsnet spell it "bare"

PussyCatInChristmasStockings · 15/02/2021 19:59

@RoaryMouth

Meant to be ‘manky’ feet. Could be manly or not...
I suspect manly feet are more amenable to being picky than other (ladies) feet. Grin
poppycat10 · 15/02/2021 20:00

@CarlottaValdez

That’s a new one on me poppy, I don’t think gifted only applies to land.
I've only heard it used in relation to land.

But lets agree that it's for legal usage only and not in relation to Christmas presents.

In German "Gift" is poison. Maybe people would stop using it so much if they knew that? And if I vergift you I am poisoning you.

Hotzenplotz · 15/02/2021 20:00

@campion

Worse when they mean worst.

Whoever said one shouldn't look down on people who haven't had as good an education as those posting; UK education is compulsory for twelve years until recently and is now fourteen years.
It's not unreasonable to expect a working ability in the English language. Innit.

Totes agree blud.
Rainydays14 · 15/02/2021 20:02

I don’t think it is people feeling superior in most cases @Mrgrinch, but it’s the way language changes, not always for the better, rather than the wrong use of it in many cases.

Several of the things mentioned here annoy me too, but not as much as the current trend for “birthed” - even sometimes in nature programmes now, they say “she has birthed 5 cubs”. It’s given birth. I think it’s maybe come from the USA, and I find it really irritating. Also TV presenters who pronounce every A as ay rather than ah.

MrsWindass · 15/02/2021 20:03

CURATED ! I FUCKING HATE IT Grin

Okbye · 15/02/2021 20:04

‘Could of/should of’. Ugh, it’s HAVE. SHOULD HAVE.

Also when people say ‘I turned around and said/she turned around and did this/they turned around and said’ Oh lord it does my head in! I just have this ridiculous image in my head of people talking and spinning in circles! Imagine not being able to say anything without having to ‘turn around’ first!