Indian giver
2
9.9
- noun
- /ˈɪndiən ˈɡɪvər/
- Slur
:
[término ofensivo para una persona que devuelve un regalo]
- She felt hurt when he turned out to be an Indian giver after promising to donate.
Examples
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Don't be such an Indian giver!
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She called him an Indian giver after he took back the gift.
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Don't be an Indian giver; a gift should not come with strings attached.
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He called me an Indian giver when I asked for the borrowed book back.
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The phrase Indian giver is often considered hurtful and outdated.
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It's not polite to be an Indian giver and ask for your gift back.
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He often plays the role of an Indian giver when he regrets his generosity.
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
Indian + giver
The meaning 'a person who gives a gift and later asks for it back' cannot be derived from the literal meanings of 'Indian' (relating to indigenous peoples) and 'giver' (one who gives); neither constituent signals reversal or rescinding of a gift. This expression is culturally specific and pejorative, so its idiomatic, historically rooted sense is unpredictable to a B1 learner who merely knows the individual words.
Etymology
Indian giver comes from early settlers' misunderstandings about Indian gift customs, where giving often included trade or an expectation that something would be returned. Because of this, the phrase came to mean 'someone who gives a gift and later asks for it back', and it is now seen as hurtful.