Good heavens!!!! I had intentions of beginning this blog with, “Only in Trinidad…” but to my dismay, I discovered that my topic today is not intrinsic to Trinidad and Tobago. To what do I refer? The continued use in local advertising of the repetitious words Free Giveaways.
We have all heard or read it in our local media at one time or other – Free giveaways! Free gifts!
Now tell me. What is a giveaway? Isn’t that a thing that is given free? What about a gift? That’s the transfer of something without the expectation of payment. So if I am to interpret “Free Giveaways” and “Free Gifts” what is being said is that, “Free stuff is being given away for free.” Right?
The common explanation in our business when using words that are not standard to English usage is that we need to speak the language of the people to connect. I am sorry. I have never heard anyone on the street say, “XYZ has free giveaways” or “They giving free gifts.” I would more likely hear, “It have a freeness today” or “They giving away ting.” It seems that it is only we in advertising that say free giveaways (and the two odd foreign sites on the internet).
So from now on, let’s do the right thing. We either say, “Giveaways!” or “Fabulous Gifts!” or “Free Stuff!” and if we want to link with the more grass roots out there, then there is, “Ting free!” or “Freeness!” or “We giving away ting!”
