Perfection
The Great Head.
Gnomes rule! I have one in my dorm room!
You wouldn't happen to still have the gnomes...
You wouldn't happen to still have the gnomes...
The giving of a gift, a set of tragedies therein, and a host of questions thereafter.
- Thread starter Rambuchan
- Start date
PrinceOfLeigh
Wigan, England
thetrooper said:
I concur. Never, never show disappointment when recieving a gift. To do so is the height of rudeness. (If rudeness is even a word)
EDIT: However, I bloody hate gnomes as we sold them at school as part of our Young Enterprise. Got us a trip to Brussels but in order to market them properly someone had to dress up at our stall outside the local supermarket as... You guessed it. The person dressed as a gnome... well done, guessed that too.
Rambuchan
The Funky President
I do still have them and guess what folks....Perfection said:
Spoiler :
anarres
anarchist revolutionary
The garden gnome is the epitamy of everything these guys hate. Seriously.
Giving a hippy a gnome?
As for the kid - any 3 year old who see's their mother upset will start crying. I'd definitly blame that on the mothers shocked face, and more importantly her raised and upset voice.
Giving a hippy a gnome?
As for the kid - any 3 year old who see's their mother upset will start crying. I'd definitly blame that on the mothers shocked face, and more importantly her raised and upset voice.
anarres
anarchist revolutionary
Ram just HOW do you not know that gnome = suberbia = rat-race = the-most-un-hippiest-thing-ever?
Rambuchan
The Funky President
I dunno. I'm genuinely lost for an answer on this. It's like the whole thing just passed me by.anarres said:
Dann
Green bug
Ram, if I were in your friend's place, I'd accept the gift, sneer and proceed to criticize it in your face (since we're so close anyway I don't need to put up a polite front). But when you sheepishly offer to take it back and exchange it, I'll say: "Hell no. I know someone who'll love this. I'll just re-wrap it and give it to her on THEIR housewarming." 
Richard Cribb
He does monologues
- Joined
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~ Is it ok for friends to say outright if they dont like or want a gift?
No, it is rude and immature.
~ Should one always accept gifts they dont like or want, so that they at least honour the gesture of generosity?
Yes of course.
~ Should people pass on to other people gifts that they have reluctantly accepted?
No.
~ Whats wrong with garden gnomes anyway?
As explained by other, associations with certain lothed social classes and lifestyles.
~~ What association (negative or positive) are there surrounding garden gnomes?
Germans.
~ Is it a German thing about gnomes? (The husband is German)
I believe it is.
~~ Why was the kid so frightened of a cute little gnome? What was he imagining?
I don't know the child , so I have no idea.
Sorry, but I didn't find any "funny" play on word with gnome, so I tried to avoid it altogether.
No, it is rude and immature.
~ Should one always accept gifts they dont like or want, so that they at least honour the gesture of generosity?
Yes of course.
~ Should people pass on to other people gifts that they have reluctantly accepted?
No.
~ Whats wrong with garden gnomes anyway?
As explained by other, associations with certain lothed social classes and lifestyles.
~~ What association (negative or positive) are there surrounding garden gnomes?
Germans.
~ Is it a German thing about gnomes? (The husband is German)
I believe it is.
~~ Why was the kid so frightened of a cute little gnome? What was he imagining?
I don't know the child , so I have no idea.
Good to read a story with a happy ending.Just to set your minds at ease: Dont worry, we havent fallen out over three little gnomes. In fact we did spend the rest of the evening joking about it, slipping the word gnome into conversation as often as possible, if you gnome what I mean.
Sorry, but I didn't find any "funny" play on word with gnome, so I tried to avoid it altogether.
Abaddon
Deity
Rambuchan said:
Seems indeed you are somehow within a vacuum.. i think anyone who isnt middle class retired finds them vile!
Its not a case of info being displayed on billboards.. everyone just knows!
Rambuchan
The Funky President
Sloz: I can't honestly remember seeing or knowing anyone with a garden gnome in front or out the back of their house. This is the vacuum I'm in, but I mix with folk of all walks of society, so I guess I've just been (un?)lucky.
Luceafarul: Well they both kept mentioning something about gnomes and being German but I never quite got what they were trying to say about it. Anyone want to elaborate on this?
Luceafarul: Well they both kept mentioning something about gnomes and being German but I never quite got what they were trying to say about it. Anyone want to elaborate on this?
Abaddon
Deity
Rambuchan said:
Erm, wouldnt the fact no-one had one lead to suspicion in your mind?
Rambuchan
The Funky President
Errr, yeah it should have done.
Abaddon
Deity
Perhaps your love for them will cause you to end up in a situation like this?
Richard Cribb
He does monologues
- Joined
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- 4,291
I am not an expert, but I seem to remember on one of my recent visits to Poland to have read about some Polish company producing those for the German market, and I always associated this phenomena with first and foremost Germany.Rambuchan said:
Apparently there are people who worry about the plight of those gardengnomes as well: http://membres.lycos.fr/flnj/
Dann
Green bug
Awww.... so cute...slozenger said:
Till
Adventurer
I don't know if it is a German thing, but gifting Gnomes is a generally speaking not a good idea here.
To some, they symbolize stuck-up, close-minded low-middleclass mindset and everybody who thinks of himself as cultured regards them as tasteless.
I know that, because my parents got one from the previous owner, when they moved into their new house. My parents had to make an effort not to burst out in laughter. They accepted it, of course and thanked the guy, but in their minds he just ridiculed himself as barbarian. They still have the gnome. My father says getting rid of it will be the final touch, once he's done with renovating the house. The gnome is not on display, though.
Putting it into the garden would be social suicide.
Edit: It would be like gifting somebody a "ABC for dummies. With big pictures!" book for his birthday. If he can't read it's a good present. If he has mayored in literature it comes close to an insult. That might be a bit exaggerated, but a lot of people here actually feel this way about gnomes here.
To some, they symbolize stuck-up, close-minded low-middleclass mindset and everybody who thinks of himself as cultured regards them as tasteless.
I know that, because my parents got one from the previous owner, when they moved into their new house. My parents had to make an effort not to burst out in laughter. They accepted it, of course and thanked the guy, but in their minds he just ridiculed himself as barbarian. They still have the gnome. My father says getting rid of it will be the final touch, once he's done with renovating the house. The gnome is not on display, though.
Putting it into the garden would be social suicide.
Edit: It would be like gifting somebody a "ABC for dummies. With big pictures!" book for his birthday. If he can't read it's a good present. If he has mayored in literature it comes close to an insult. That might be a bit exaggerated, but a lot of people here actually feel this way about gnomes here.
Tank_Guy#3
Lion of Lehistan
Why not? I try to get the most applicable gift for the person and sometimes I like to be a smart a$$ and get gag gifts. But either way, if the person doesn't like the gift, then they should inform me. If they don't, I may think that this type of gift is acceptable and I can continue to buy them.Rambuchan said:
I would thoroughly discuss the matter. When someone is trying to give me something I don't want, I will tell them no until they get a little irritated and then with a sigh of disgust, say "alright, just give it to me". And if the person won't take anything in return, I will wait until they aren't paying attention or are out of the room and plant the return gift somewhere in their house or car. Cash is the best for this.
If the other person has, or appears to have a need for it.
They're always staring at you.
I've heard they're good luck and that they protect the plants or something.
You're right, it was a long post so I didn't read it.
Some people have a fear of clowns, so I would imagine that a person could find something scary about a gnome. And what is said in the link below is also true, some gnomes do remind me of Chuckie.
Check this link for the last question:
http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/Is_there_a_phobia_name_for_the_fear_of_Garden_Gnomes
Shaihulud
Deity
I don't know mush about the class association that is stickered to the Gnomes, but it sounds like people who hates them are a bunch of elitist snobs.
Abaddon
Deity
How is it elitist to assume someone is of a higher socio-economic demographic?
Mr. Blonde
Dr. techn.
Garden gnomes! It takes a whole lot of courtesy to accept these.
They are THE label for "Spießbürger" (the dictionary says Philistines) here. Humorless, small minded, sometimes fascistoid creatures who try to prove their humor by putting funny little gnomes in front of their fussy tended "oppressed" garden.
They were overreacting for sure, but they felt disrespected or mocked by your gift.
They are THE label for "Spießbürger" (the dictionary says Philistines) here. Humorless, small minded, sometimes fascistoid creatures who try to prove their humor by putting funny little gnomes in front of their fussy tended "oppressed" garden.
They were overreacting for sure, but they felt disrespected or mocked by your gift.
