Indian gift
- noun
- Slur
:
[término ofensivo para un regalo que luego se retira]
- Some people find it upsetting to receive an Indian gift because it is later taken away.
Examples
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She laughed when he realized the necklace was an Indian gift and asked for it back.
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Calling someone's present an Indian gift is now widely considered offensive.
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That was an Indian gift he received last year.
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She felt hurt when he gave her an Indian gift.
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She laughed when he realized the necklace was an Indian gift since he had to give it back.
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Receiving an Indian gift can be disappointing, as it often means the giver might want it back.
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Some people avoid giving an Indian gift to prevent misunderstandings about ownership.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'a gift that is later taken back' is not derivable from the literal constituents: 'Indian' (relating to indigenous peoples) plus 'gift' (something given) gives no cue about revocation. This is an idiomatic, culturally specific and historically pejorative expression, so learners who know the component words would not predict the idiomatic sense.
Etymology
Indian gift comes from one old story: early settlers said some Native people gave a gift and later took that same gift back, creating a strong image of a present you could not keep. The term is now widely seen as offensive, and that's why it means 'a gift that is later taken back'.