Is it me, or have you also heard professionals using the term "gifting". (or, you know, pick your conjugation of choice.)
Hint: It's a NOUN, not a verb, people!
Now, I'm the first to argue that English is a living language and therefore a changing one. I'm not afraid to end a sentence with a preposition if that's the most concise way to say it. But "gift" as a verb drives. me. up. the. wall.
THIS is a gift:
If you do this well:
...or maybe, this...
That is a gift, too. Also, you might be considered "gifted", but "gifted" is still not a verb in that sense!
But the act of doing this:
is not (or, should not be, IMHO) "gifting"!
UGH. Sets my teeth on edge.
You can give a gift.
You can present someone with a gift.
You can offer a gift.
Somehow the new, verb form conveys to me images of whatever gift is being "gifted" being thrown at a person. Launched, like from a catapult. My pastor loves to pray, "Lord, you 'gift' us with a new day..." and it feels like a medicine ball to the gut. "You gift us...OOF!" ...Or maybe more like a piano landing on Roger Rabbit. Great. Thanks for smashing me by "gifting" me!
Also, it's one-sided. To give a gift means someone else receives or rejects the gift. "Gift"ing doesn't imply that option.
I'm sure I'm not alone, but what am I missing here? What other overused terminologies are offensive in your world? Also, if you believe "gifting" is an improvement on the old "giving", please, convince me!
*all photos came from Bing Images*
I have some of those words too.
ReplyDeleteYou can win a medal. To medal in an even is just weird.
Parents raise children. People do not parent children.
We can gain access. We cannot access a room.
Here are some others: liaison, journal, multitask, guilt
None of these are verbs.
Red,
DeleteI like you more and more after every post you write. This is another thing we could enjoy doing together. Make fun of the way people talk.
Ooh...a high school classmate would argue that you don't raise children - you rear children. You raise corn. Hmm. Never had an opinion on that.
DeleteBut "liase" from liaison gets me, too.
...and I'm glad you still like me after I dissed your favorite "Chinese" restaurant.
DeleteAgreed! People are just getting lazy with language. People at work talk a lot about "message-ing" things... drives me nuts!
DeleteMessaging! yes, annoying.
DeleteAt my job, we're more violent, we "shoot you an email/text."
It irks me! "Let's be very careful about how we 'message' this..." Just say "communicate," people!
DeleteWe avoid all talk of shooting at my job... lol.
The diss didn't bother me. You were right. But I still love the food.
DeleteHmmm, I don't use the term gifting, but it doesn't particularly bother me. Actually, now that I think about it, yeah, agreed.
ReplyDeleteI don't like it when people say 'facebook me'.
Oh yeah! And it was like that with MySpace, too, wasn't it? Although I don't have a problem using "text" as a verb. Hmm...
Delete