h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If you do someone a little favour, they might politely get you a little something, which can be lovely...but can also be a problem. Edible gifts are great, because they don't hang around, but why is it people persist in thinking a lovely little ornament or nik-nak might make a nice present, when they (obviously) have no idea what your tastes are?

I can't understand how public awareness is so low on this matter, it should be common knowledge that you don't do this unless you're confident about the recipient's tastes.

Several members of my family have established public wish lists at that online bookstore named after a rainforest in South America .

Another option that we use is to ask or tell ach other what we want, when we get together at Thanksgiving. Granted, some researchers might not live in countries where Thanksgiving is celebrated, but there may be other holiday gatherings in November or December.

As the giver has not been to your house, there is nothing to stop you passing unwanted ornaments to a charity shop. I have had one or two that I couldn't dispose of locally in case the giver recognised them , so a raffia reindeer flower pot holder with a Lincoln City scarf will be accompanying me to Ireland next time I go.

I have a small collection of stuff including a Homer Simpson toothbrush and a Lego pen in the back of a cupboard that I will never use.

I must have a word in my daughter's ear before Christmas this year.

PP.

Over the years, my brother has given me tons of CDs and DVDs, most of which I stored unused. Then, eventually, when I got a good CD player and hooked it up to my computer, I took them out of storage and enjoyed them.

It's simple. Be an absolute bastard. A horrible, nasty person.

Nobody will want to give you gifts. And if they do, because they find absolute bastard pleasing for some reason, then you can throw the gift in the bin like an absolute bastard and they won't be disappointed.

Write "deceased" on all mail that comes to your mailbox, then send it back to the post office. If people think you're dead, they won't send you an gifts.

It could be that they give you a tacky ornament to get rid of it themselves…

If I wanted to thank someone, it would usually be with just a card, maybe something edible or drinkable - or flowers.

I've had many gifts not to my taste for birthdays etc which have ended up as raffle prizes or in charity shops - hopefully in locations where the donor won't see them.

Wait - a day will come when that gifter has an occasion, and re-gift the same item back. "Oh, I thought this was to your taste ..."

I have packrat tendencies, especially if an item might be usable within the next five to ten years. Voila, I will then perform valiant contortions to actually use it somehow .

I didn't realise this was so rife. For such occasions a bottle of wine or a bunch of flowers is the usual. I don't think I've ever got (or given) any unnecessary knickknacks. Possibly a box of chocolates , but I, for one, can't eat dark chocolate, so I am wary of giving it to anyone else.

(I only know of one other person who has this problem with dark chocolate, and, unfortunately, I once gave him a bar for a little favour he did).

I tend to give one of a kind gifts that I made myself. My brother and his wife love to cook, so I put together collections of my best recipes and give them for Christmas. It helps if I mention which ones are favorites of my father, whose lunches I supply once a week.

I also have been known to collect things I've written for H2G2 and put them in a nice binders and put them under the tree.

Pots of home-made jam or marmalade are a common and surely not unwanted gift.

As to an answer to the question, the problem is, as these little occasional gifts come as a surprise, it's hard to pre-empt them. You could then tell people to give the money to charity instead.

I don't think you would want to taste my home-made jam .

I don't eat marmalade or jam. We've had no end of edible stuff given to us as eg holiday souvenirs or for cat minding, which is not to our taste. Well, sometimes hubby eats it.

Last gift was some tasty ginger biscuits though!

I have numerous home-grown winter squashes, so much of my baking is likely to contain squash.