Learn English with English, baby!

Join for FREE!

Social_nav_masthead_logged_in
 
Gag Gifts
简体
Gag Gifts
恶作剧礼物

Learn birthday English in this English lesson

Date: Nov 19 2012

Themes: Holidays

Grammar: Simple Future Tense

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Giving someone a present is a great way to show you care. Some say that giving gifts is more rewarding than receiving them. If you’re looking for a gift for someone who has a good sense of humor, a gag gift can be especially fun.

A gag gift isn’t useful, but it is often meaningful in a funny way. Giving someone a funny gift can be a great way to tease them. For instance, if your boss is mean, you could give him candy to make him sweeter.

Gag gifts can also help you remember something funny that happened. If you saw a terrible concert with a friend, you could give her that band’s CD and laugh about how terrible it was. She probably won’t listen to the CD often, but she’ll certainly laugh hard when she unwraps it and every time she sees it around her house.

Jason is thinking of giving someone a gag gift. Find out if Vanessa thinks it’s a good idea or not.

送人礼物是一种表达关心的好方法。有人说,送人礼物比收到礼物更能让人欢喜。如果你正在为富有幽默感的人挑选礼物,恶作剧礼物可能是个有趣的选择。

恶作剧礼物并不实用,但通常会很有意思。送人有趣的礼物可能是逗弄别人的好方法。例如,如果你的老板对人刻薄,你可以给他糖果,让他更平易近人一些。

恶作剧礼物还可以帮你想起发生过的趣事。如果你和一位朋友观赏了一场糟糕的音乐会,你可以送她这支乐队的 CD,并笑称音乐会如何糟糕。她或许不会常听这张 CD,但当她打开这张 CD 以及每次在房间里发现它时,肯定会放声大笑。

詹森正想送人一件恶作剧礼物。看看瓦内萨是否认为这是一个好主意。

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

Log in to Listen

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Jason

Jason

Vanessa

Vanessa

Jason:  My dad’s turning 60, and I think I’m going to get him a gag gift.

Vanessa:  A gag gift? You mean, like, a joke?

Jason:  Totally.

Vanessa:  Will it be an inside joke between the two of you?

Jason:  Nope. It will be a very clear joke for everyone. You know, he’s turning 60. He can walk just fine, but I think I’m going to get him a walker.

Vanessa:  That sounds really insulting, actually.

Jason:  Why?

Vanessa:  Do you really think he’s going to think that’s funny? I mean, don’t you think that will go over kind of poorly?

Jason:   Um, I think it’s pretty clear. I think he’ll get it. You know, he’s getting on in years...

Vanessa:  Well I don’t know, maybe you think it’s funny, but it sounds sort of mean.

Jason:  Yeah, he did think it was mean when I got him some roller skates after he broke his leg when I went to visit him in the hospital.

Vanessa:  You’re terrible!

Jason:  And hilarious!

 

Grammar Point

Go Super to learn "Simple Future Tense" from this lesson Go Super!

Quizzes

Go Super to take Quiz Go Super!

 

Lesson MP3

Go Super to download full lesson MP3 Go Super!

The iTEP® test

  • Schedule an iTEP® test and take the official English Practice Test.

    Take Now >

Discussion

Go Super to Listen Go Super!

Jason says that his dad is about to have his 60th birthday and that he is thinking of getting him a gag gift. Vanessa asks if the gag will be an inside joke between Jason and his dad, but Jason says no. The joke will be one anyone can understand. Even though his dad can walk without a problem, Jason is thinking of giving him a walker as a birthday gift, implying that he is very very old.

Vanessa thinks this is a bad idea. She worries that the gift will seem more mean than funny. Jason reflects that his last gag gift, giving his dad roller skates after he broke his leg, was not a success.

Do you like gag gifts? Have you ever given or received one? Was it funny?

 

Comments

Log in to Comment

Staisy

Staisy

Russian Federation

I can not get why Jason  is so persistent in giving gag gifts to his father, even when he sees  that his dad does not like it ?


I  have received  a gag gift ones, and  I  am steel  keeping it as a memory, although this stuff  is useless for me.  

08:49 PM Jun 19 2014 |

morgoba

morgoba

Cote D'Ivoire

HI EVERYBODY


04:20 PM Dec 14 2012 |

La Princesse de la vie

Egypt

Actually, I don’t accept them, except for from very close people to me..

03:33 PM Dec 14 2012 |

TranceSoul

TranceSoul

Poland

disaster girl let us know what was it? ;p

05:40 PM Nov 23 2012 |

disaster girl

Oman

by the way it is good idea to give someone gag Gift…^^

05:39 PM Nov 23 2012 |

disaster girl

Oman

hhhhhhhhhhhh … you make me laugh..because i remamber my self when i give my lovely sister gag Gifts…^


it was really fun hhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh^

05:36 PM Nov 23 2012 |

Kiroly

Kiroly

China

I have never given or received gag gifts. If I receive a gag gift, it maybe very interesting. I have a thick-tongued friend. Before his birthday coming, we discuss give he what gift. My friend said give he a iron, let’s ironing his tongue. Actually, we didn’t give he iron. We worried that he will angry with us. Next year we will try to give he a gag gift.

06:54 AM Nov 21 2012 |

Katia1

Katia1

Brazil

I have alread given a gag gift for my great friend. Many beers… 

12:03 AM Nov 20 2012 |

fay-fay

fay-fay

Dominica

Wink

11:22 PM Nov 19 2012 |

Ahshan

Ahshan

China

nope

10:57 PM Nov 19 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

I just only recognized the well famous and ‘much favourite’ kitchen gift in the hands of a woman on the picture lesson. It was so skillfully and beautiful wrapped that you can hardly think what’s inside. The green thing I thought is just to be pulled out and something come out.  I was wondering why the woman is so unhappy:) The frying pan. Of course! The ballet tickets would be bettter!’:)

10:11 PM Nov 19 2012 |

Wfernando

Wfernando

Colombia

Ohh! My dad’s getting on in years but I’d not give him that kind of gifts. I’m sure he wouldn’t take it bad but I’d rather give him something useful hahahaahah… maybe to my friends I’d to! :)

08:09 PM Nov 19 2012 |

Nabilo

Nabilo

Germany

Ola, Laughing

06:41 PM Nov 19 2012 |

1 person likes this

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

Thanks Julito,


 You raised a good point in your first post as well. If I’m going to spend my  hard-earned money on a gift It might as well be useful and long-lasting  to that person. This is my pauper way of looking at it ;)

05:21 PM Nov 19 2012 |

 julito

julito

Argentina

Hello Snoopy , thanks for your input  on this matter. Jason is planning to tease his Dad  , it might be a typo  ,anyway , I have enjoyed reading your post  ,as everyone`s else posts.  

05:14 PM Nov 19 2012 |

snoopyboy

snoopyboy

Antarctica

     My stand on gag gift  is that it must be given with precaution. Play it safe. You need to make sure it’s done at the right time and most importantly be sure that the receiver is in the right mood to take on a joke. A birthday celebration doesn’t  necessarily give you carte blanche to play all kind of dirty tricks on a person. There’s this tendency to assume everybody is in a good mood and more tolerant when it’s his or her birthday. That is not true.  So I’d suggest to anyone to use lot of tacts before you give someone a fake winning lottery ticket or a jack in a box.


What might seem a harmless practical joke can quickly end up being a blunt offense to the receiver of that decoy gift. Also, it’s good to keep in mind that some people love to be messed with as long as they’re among their close knit entourage. if anyone outside their circles is laughing , their mood can turn sour and cause mayhem at the party ;).


Now I’ve read some comments and what I make of them is that there may be a  generational threshold  humor should never cross.  I agree with that to a degree, because I can trick my grandmother all day and have her laughing, she gets my humor.  I can’t say that I ‘d given her gag gifts before, but one time I acted as though I had forgotten her birthday and right when she started to pelt me with friendly cursing ;) I told her “ relax grandmother, I got you something I would never forget your birthday”. I could never play this kind of trick on my mother though, I never tried, but I know she wouldn’t have found it funny. I know what kind of jokes she can handle. I would never present a walker to her and not expect to be hit with it right across my head she’d have me utilize this walker when I’m not even 30 years old ;).


I’m sure Jason knows his grandfather better than anyone of us here. From my perspective the gift he’s planning to hand his grandfather could be a little unpleasant and daring . But his grandfather  and the whole might find it very funny and bring that event up at every family reunion  years after years. Who knows ;)


Personally, I have  never given anyone a gag gift, I like my presents to last more than just a brief laughter ;). but if someone else is planning in giving one to a person I know will understand it as a joke  and I can remain hush-hush about it ;).

04:52 PM Nov 19 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Nabilo, as a CEO! He’s got all the skills for a CEO!

04:43 PM Nov 19 2012 |

Christianny

Brazil

gag gift… don’t agree with this… i think people would like to receive a good surprise instead a bad one lol

04:14 PM Nov 19 2012 |

Nabilo

Nabilo

Germany

Yes, he found a job just after he left, but not as a project leader;);)

03:45 PM Nov 19 2012 |

ola33

ola33

Japan

Nabilo, how is he now? Has he found a job?

03:39 PM Nov 19 2012 |

Likes (26):

See all >

Share this lesson:

  • Share on Facebook
  • Share on Bebo
  • Share on Myspace
  • Share on Twitter
  • Email this to a friend
  • Share on Sina

Post Ebaby! lessons on your blog:

Ebaby! Cast