White elephants

[Vlad!]

I used to hate so-called White Elephant parties, but now I enjoy them. The secret is amassing a vast stash of amusing junk. Today my unsuspecting and randomly-chosen victim received a pink Another Teen Movie alarm clock. There's nothing that beats the look of horror on the face of someone who realizes that not only has he gotten something awkward he will never use, he is completely stuck with it.

Here are a couple of stories from White Elephant parties in years past:

* Last year I brought a stuffed Hokie Bird (the Virginia Tech mascot). Through some machination of serendipity, the one who wound up with it was the biggest NC State fan in the room...and he was stuck with it (because the person who chose last stole his gift). We happened to be meeting at his house, so he immediately called his dog over and tried to get her to chew on it. I was too busy laughing like a maniac.

* The year before, I pulled a gift that was an ornamental book of some sort. I opened it, and in the front cover was the inscription "To our beloved son. Love, Mom and Dad". When I read this aloud, the person who brought that gift revealed himself by putting is head in his hands and moaning "I'm such a bad son". Apparently, he regifted this item without even bothering to open it!

I love going to thrift stores on the weekend because I can sometimes find cool electronic things to hack apart and mutate in weird and wonderful ways. They also are a veritable cornucopia of White Elephant gifts!

[enemy anemone]

"white elephant gift" is one of those terms I get mixed up with other terms/phrases--"don't look a gift horse in the mouth" and "the elephant in the room". "don't look the white elephant in the room in the mouth". that...actually kind of makes sense.

[whim]

I have never heard of White Elephant parties.  Learn something new every day, I guess. 

[RedcoatJones]

We've had some good ones, but my favorite was when I wrapped a phone book. We were playing a variation where the gift isn't unwrapped until the end, adding a level of suspense in that you have to steal and choose based solely on the wrapping job. Our phone book was wrapped as nicely as could be, and it was stolen more than any other gift.

The "winner" was stunned when he opened up a year-old phone book.