The overuse of the word "gifted"

[iwantavuvezela]

I have noticed on a couple of forums I frequent (including mumsnet) the overuse of the word gifted. "I gifted myself some perfume". (erm, no, you bought some perfume for yourself to use. "I gifted my friend my pram". (you gave your pram) There are some times the word gifted can stand - but is this a new trend that has crept in.....
Okay its Monday, I'm feeling curmudgeonly after reading this term used once again on another forum
AIBU?

Do I stand alone!

I know what they mean. My annoyance is that "to order" is to order is to order, even if you have to wait a while until the product is available. No need for the "Pre" bit.

But they're not the same: to pre-order something is to order something that hasn't been released yet, so it is a similar but different word for a similar but different situation. It very succinctly gives the audience a further bit of information (i.e. that the item isn't yet available)

To say "I have pre-ordered the new Harry Styles" album lets the listener know that not only have you ordered it, but it's not released yet. It may also showa certain enthusiasm for said article/performer. It's far more economical than "I have ordered the new Harry Styles album but it's not out just yet. I'm quite a big fan"

Yes, as I say, I do actually understand that. I nevertheless find the term irritating and unnecessary.

What didn't take long? What have I said that's annoyed you?
I do teach my children to speak well but they're more interested in how their friends, you tubers, celebrities etc speak.

I presume the poster is referring to your misconception that the usage is American.
On all threads about perfectly correct language that posters for some reason don't like, the accusation levelled at it is generally that it's American. Which, as in this case, it rarely is.

I hate it.

I'm a writer and I know that historically it's 'okay' as a verb but was rarely used- it's another Americanism that's crawled over the pond.

The word people need 99% of the time is 'gave'.

My other, even bigger pet hate is the use of 'off of' (just like that- in succession) which is another import from the US.

eg 'I fell off of the tree'.

I hear people saying and writing it, and it is 100% ungrammatical.

I mean, WTF?

Can we debate the use of the Oxford comma instead which is much more fun?

Ah OK, it's just that a lot of the words and phrases my children are using ARE American. I'm not too upset about it although I always correct them with the British English word.

You can hate it all you like. But it's not incorrect. And technically neither is "off of" although I'll grant it jars hearing two similarly sounded prepositions together like that. As both are describing two different concepts, and one is movement while the other isn't, there's nothing grammatically wrong, and there's nothing "American" about it. It's less formal than just "off" and I wouldn't encourage my students to use it in formal writing.
Wouldn't think there was much need to debate the Oxford comma tbh. It's useful, it works, it's correct.

Ooh, ooh I've remembered another one.

Pre-warn

Surely that is just to warn. If you post-warn it's a bit late!

Can we debate the use of the Oxford comma instead which is much more fun?

Yes, please! I love the Oxford comma But even in my branch of writing (academic history) it’s falling by the wayside.

And”off of” is inelegant writing. “Falling out of” or “falling from” are sufficient, and more precise.

PS @NowZeusHasLainWithLeda

Yes, that's why I said it's informal and I wouldn't encourage my students (I teach academic writing) to use it.

I see your ‘gifted’ OP and raise you a ‘carted out’, courtesy of online shopping sites and the process of adding items to shopping carts.