With the holiday season in full swing, you're probably scurrying around trying to find the perfect gift for your perfect mate. Go ahead and buy your fiance that subscription to the Sausage of the Month club, if you think that's really what they want most this year. But be ready to read the reaction. You'll know you should have opted for the jewelry instead if you experience any of these, the top 9 signs that your gift bombed:
9. Bad acting
"She said it was great, but I knew from the look on her face that she hated it," said Barney, 27, of Bath, Maine, of the time he gave his girlfriend a fly-fishing rod for Christmas. "I just wanted to give it to her so we could fish together, but it was a bad plan."
Lesson learned: Buy her something with meaning for her, not you.
8. A slap in the face
"I've never been good with spatial analysis," quips Thomas, 40, of Madison, Wis., "but I didn't realize how bad I was till I got an ex-girlfriend some lingerie that was a couple sizes too big. It was clear she wasn't pleased. She slapped me."
Lesson learned: Ask her to accompany you to the boutique for a show and tell shopping spree.
7. Speechless
"I got a seriously ugly sweater from my girlfriend," recalls Verona, 35, of Portland, Ore. "It was so awful I was rendered speechless trying to figure out what she was thinking."
Lesson learned: You want a gift that will take her breath away, but not in a bad way. Choose wisely.
6. Re-gifting
"My boyfriend always sends flowers, so for my birthday, he gave me a vase," says Tamara, 25, of Las Vegas. "It was hideous. It just wasn't my taste. So I gave it to my step-sister for her birthday, only I wasn't expecting my boyfriend to show up at the party and see her open it. I was mortified."
Lesson learned: Pay attention to her décor and buy gifts that reflect it.
5. Getting trashed
"I gave my girlfriend what I thought was a cool garden gnome," recalls Bob, 30, of Boston. "She said she liked it, but a couple weeks later, I caught her taking it out with the trash. Turns out she found it very creepy."
Lesson learned: Just because you like it, doesn't mean she will.
4. Thanks, but no
"Once I got a book of Mapplethorpe photographs from a boyfriend," says Susie, 34, from Salt Lake City. "He said it was art, but I found it objectionable and gave it back to him."
Lesson learned: Be mindful of sensitivities and do your best not to run afoul of them. When in doubt, choose something with less potential to offend.
3. The bad joke
"I gave my then-girlfriend a designer hat," recounts Marlena, 39, of Oahu, Hawaii. "She thought it was a joke and asked where the real present was. Ouch."
Lesson learned: Some avant garde gifts are too outré for general audiences. Unless you know your partner's a fashion plate, skip the haute couture.
2. Waterworks
"Cindy had been hinting for a diamond ring, but my budget was shot," says Darrell, 31, of Mobile, Alabama. "I gave her a silver engraved ring for her birthday and she burst out in tears. They were not tears of joy."
Lesson learned: If you know there are expectations that you cannot meet, invest some time in managing them down to a more realistic level to avoid big disappointments.
1. The allergic reaction
"When my husband and I were dating, he gave me a giant box of almond cookies," says Tabitha, 42, of Pittsburgh, Pa. "What he didn't know was that I'm allergic to nuts. And I didn't ask until it was too late."
Lesson learned: When giving gifts of food, make sure you're not giving your beloved something to sneeze at.
9. Bad acting
"She said it was great, but I knew from the look on her face that she hated it," said Barney, 27, of Bath, Maine, of the time he gave his girlfriend a fly-fishing rod for Christmas. "I just wanted to give it to her so we could fish together, but it was a bad plan."
Lesson learned: Buy her something with meaning for her, not you.
8. A slap in the face
"I've never been good with spatial analysis," quips Thomas, 40, of Madison, Wis., "but I didn't realize how bad I was till I got an ex-girlfriend some lingerie that was a couple sizes too big. It was clear she wasn't pleased. She slapped me."
Lesson learned: Ask her to accompany you to the boutique for a show and tell shopping spree.
7. Speechless
"I got a seriously ugly sweater from my girlfriend," recalls Verona, 35, of Portland, Ore. "It was so awful I was rendered speechless trying to figure out what she was thinking."
Lesson learned: You want a gift that will take her breath away, but not in a bad way. Choose wisely.
6. Re-gifting
"My boyfriend always sends flowers, so for my birthday, he gave me a vase," says Tamara, 25, of Las Vegas. "It was hideous. It just wasn't my taste. So I gave it to my step-sister for her birthday, only I wasn't expecting my boyfriend to show up at the party and see her open it. I was mortified."
Lesson learned: Pay attention to her décor and buy gifts that reflect it.
5. Getting trashed
"I gave my girlfriend what I thought was a cool garden gnome," recalls Bob, 30, of Boston. "She said she liked it, but a couple weeks later, I caught her taking it out with the trash. Turns out she found it very creepy."
Lesson learned: Just because you like it, doesn't mean she will.
4. Thanks, but no
"Once I got a book of Mapplethorpe photographs from a boyfriend," says Susie, 34, from Salt Lake City. "He said it was art, but I found it objectionable and gave it back to him."
Lesson learned: Be mindful of sensitivities and do your best not to run afoul of them. When in doubt, choose something with less potential to offend.
3. The bad joke
"I gave my then-girlfriend a designer hat," recounts Marlena, 39, of Oahu, Hawaii. "She thought it was a joke and asked where the real present was. Ouch."
Lesson learned: Some avant garde gifts are too outré for general audiences. Unless you know your partner's a fashion plate, skip the haute couture.
2. Waterworks
"Cindy had been hinting for a diamond ring, but my budget was shot," says Darrell, 31, of Mobile, Alabama. "I gave her a silver engraved ring for her birthday and she burst out in tears. They were not tears of joy."
Lesson learned: If you know there are expectations that you cannot meet, invest some time in managing them down to a more realistic level to avoid big disappointments.
1. The allergic reaction
"When my husband and I were dating, he gave me a giant box of almond cookies," says Tabitha, 42, of Pittsburgh, Pa. "What he didn't know was that I'm allergic to nuts. And I didn't ask until it was too late."
Lesson learned: When giving gifts of food, make sure you're not giving your beloved something to sneeze at.
