KNOW YOUR ENGLISH: WHAT IS REGIFTING?

“When did you buy that awful painting that you have on the wall? Had you lost your mind when you...”

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“It’s a gift from my aunt. But don’t worry, it won’t be on the wall for long. I plan to regift it to you.”

“Regift? What does it mean?”

“When you get a gift that you don’t like, what is it that you normally do?”

“I usually give it to someone else as a gift!”

“That’s what the word regift means. To take something that was given to you and give it to someone else as a gift. Here’s an example. My sister is planning to regift many of the presents she received on her birthday.”

“I hope she doesn’t regift it to the person who gave her the gift!”

“That would be embarrassing, wouldn’t it? The kurtha that my uncle gave me is a bit small. Next week is my nephew’s birthday. I plan to regift it to him.”

“That’s a good idea! My mother doesn’t regift anything. She keeps everything.”

“I’ve been a regifter all my life.”