Cognitive Daily has a very cool study about the gifts that women like to get from the men in their life and vice versa. Even more interesting is what men think women want and the other way around. All we need here to round this out are the preferences and assumptions of same sex partners. I think what surprised me most was that women don’t rate expensive jewelery or perfume that high, and men believed they would. I don’t like those myself, but assumed I’m in the
Chocolates by Hans Lindqvist, Wikipedia Commons
minority. Maybe it’s that readers of Cognitive Daily aren’t a representative sample, but even so, the contrast between preferences and assumptions is interesting. Oh–and I was surprised by the sex toys thing. Have a look here. And on that subject, read about the earliest vibrators here.
I’ll take chocolate any day. Flowers are nice, but I prefer the kind that come potted since I hate to see cut flowers die.
my husband cannot understand why i don’t like him to buy me jewelry.
Chrystal–you can’t beat chocolate, but flowers last longer, especially potted.
Emily–and now you can give him a link to the survey! (My h brought me soup in our first dates).
If only books featured in the survey! They are all I ever want to receive from anyone….. The first thing my husband ever bought me (before he was my husband) was an Ella Fitzgerald tape. I thought that was nice.
I agree–books as gifts was definitely an omission.
I’m not a chocoholic, so a box of truffles doesn’t move me much. A bottle of good wine and a pretty wine glass is nice
Or some rich coffee with a new mug 
Books, however…now there’s a gift with meat.
Or with tofu
…speaking as a vegetarian.
Laughing at Litlove’s response, because it is SO TRUE. I n-e-v-e-r receive books from anyone (I used to from some of my friends, but no longer), and I find it completely baffling. But like Litlove’s Ella Fitzgerald tape, my husband has presented me with a longed-for record: a very successful gift, unlike the lingerie debacle. This year I received orchids for Valentine’s Day (cut, I’m afraid, as I’ve killed every plant I’ve ever tried to nurture). I’m looking at them now, and they’re gorgeous. Flowers never fail. Chocolate is also fine. And nothing at all is perfectly acceptable – he’s a pretty big gift in himself.