Time to give them something fun / They'll talk about for years to come!
Jack Skellington: Just a box with bright-colored paper - and the whole thing's topped with a bow.
Witches: A bow?
But why?
How ugly!
What's in it? What's in it?
Jack: That's the point of the thing, not to know!
Witches: A bow?
But why?
How ugly!
What's in it? What's in it?
Jack: That's the point of the thing, not to know!
—"Town Meeting Song," The Nightmare Before Christmas
An index of tropes about gifts and presents, usually nicely wrapped in boxes and given to please the recipient with the best of intentions. Gifts are something a character gives to another, whether for birthdays, holidays, graduations, weddings, or other occasions. It is always used as a token of kindness or gratitude.
As a gift to you, here are tropes of types of gifts. Hope you like it.
Related to Gratitude Tropes, A Charitable Index, and Rewarded with an Index. See also Will and Inheritance Tropes. Not related to GIFT or The Gift.
Tropes:
- All Girls Like Ponies: When a little girl wants a gift, she'll most likely tell you she wants a pony.
- Apology Gift: Giving gifts as a way to make amends.
- Apple for Teacher: Apples and fruit are the gift most students give their teachers.
- Battered Bouquet: Destroying a gift of flowers because you don't like the person who gave them to you.
- Chekhov's Gift: A Chekhov's Gun given as a gift
- Chocolate of Romance: Giving chocolate as a gift.
- Clothes for Christmas Cringe: Clothes as a bad gift.
- Convenience Store Gift Shopping: A last-minute gift.
- Crappy Homemade Gift: Homemade gifts are unwanted and poorly made.
- Don't You Like It?: You gave someone a gift, so why don't they like it?
- The Dreaded "Thank You" Letter: You just got a gift from someone and now you have to spend time writing a thank you message.
- Encouraged Regifting: Giving someone a gift you know will be given away.
- Enormous Engagement Ring: A woman receives a huge engagement ring as a gift.
- Faked Gift Acceptance: Accepting a gift and discarding it later.
- Flowers of Romance: Giving flowers as a gift.
- Friendship Trinket: A gift that is kept between friends.
- Gift for an Outgrown Interest: A gift-giver's idea of what the recipient would like is based on very outdated memories.
- A Gift for Themselves: A character buys themself a present.
- Gift-Giving Gaffe: Giving someone a gift that you would like to receive, but they would not appreciate.
- Gift of Song: Writing and/or performing a song as a gift.
- Gift of the Magi Plot: Two people sell one of their own possessions to buy gifts for each other. However, those gifts are useless to the other without the possession that they sold.
- Gift Shake: Wonder what's in the gift box? Shake it and listen.
- Girls Love Stuffed Animals: Giving a girl a stuffed animal as a gift.
- Grand Romantic Gesture: An elaborate and outlandish gift.
- Hair Memento: A piece of someone's hair, either spontaneous or prepared-in-advance, usually signifying love or friendship.
- Handing Over the Crap Sack: A worthless offering is gifted or returned.
- Handmade Is Better: A person appreciates a handmade gift more than store-bought ones.
- Hollywood Giftwrap: A fancy-wrapped gift box topped with ribbon.
- Homemade Sweater from Hell: A cheesy tacky itchy sweater that no one wants for a gift.
- How Can Santa Deliver All Those Toys?: Fiction has so many different answers.
- The Idol's Blessing: A character receives a gift from their idol, inspiring them to follow in their footsteps.
- I Got a Rock: A character doesn't receive candy on Halloween.
- I Got You a Drawer: A character gives their partner an empty dresser drawer as a symbol of commitment and intimacy.
- I'm Dying, Please Take My MacGuffin: A dying person gives an important object to someone else before they die.
- It May Help You on Your Quest: A seemingly useless gift that turns out to be useful later.
- It Was a Gift: A possession that has significance because it was given to you.
- Kids Prefer Boxes: A kid ignores their gift because they prefer the box it came in.
- The Lady's Favour: A woman gives her Love Interest an item of hers before he goes off into battle.
- Ludicrous Gift Request: Asking for a gift that's outlandish and impossible to get.
- Meaningful Gift: A gift with meaning behind it.
- Mixtape of Love: A gift between couples.
- My New Gift Is Lame: A gift that brings disappointment to whoever receives it.
- Mystery Box: What's inside it?
- Orphan's Plot Trinket: A gift that an orphan most likely received from their parents that holds sentimental value and is plot critical.
- Pets as a Present: Giving a pet as a gift.
- Present Peeking: Peeking inside presents before you're supposed to open them.
- Prized Possession Giveaway: When a person gifts their most cherished object to someone they hold in high regard.
- Razor Apples: Hazardous objects hidden inside food and gifts.
- Reluctant Gift: Not wanting to give up a gift.
- Ring on a Necklace: The ring in question is often a gift.
- Secret Santa: A classic gift exchange system that leads to many an Unwanted Gift Plot.
- Serenade Your Lover: Singing a love song for your beloved.
- Sickbed Smuggling: Sneaking in a forbidden item to someone hospitalized.
- Supernatural Aid: Receiving a gift from a supernatural being.
- Take Back Your Gift: Breaking up with someone and returning a gift they gave you.
- Tastes Like Disdain: Turning down a gift of food because you don't like the person who offered it to you.
- Tastes Like Friendship: A character becomes someone's friend after being given a gift of food.
- Through His Stomach: Winning someone's affection by cooking them a delicious meal.
- Trojan Horse: Beware the Greeks bearing gifts.
- True Meaning of Christmas: It's better to give than to receive.
- Unwanted Gift Plot: You got a gift that you hate, but now you have to pretend you like it to not hurt the giver's feelings.
- Win Her a Prize: Winning a prize for your date at a carnival.
- Your Favorite: Cooking someone their favorite food.
