Indian giving
Definition from Wiktionary, the free dictionary
English[edit]
Etymology[edit]
From Lewis and Clarke's misunderstanding of how Native Americans traded: a tribe which traded beads for a dog might later trade the dog back to its original owner, expecting something (such as the beads) in return, and taking it if it was not offered.[1]
Noun[edit]
- (informal, offensive) The act of giving something to someone under the pretense that they get to keep it permanently, and then taking it back later on, or expecting something in return.
