It’s been a crazy year and money’s tight. But when someone says, “DON’T get me a gift,” what do they really mean?

According to YouGov, a recent survey gave 25,000 Americans a few different options to choose from. Here’s how they answered…

1. Does it mean, “I really don’t want a gift, and I’ll be upset if you get me one”? 9% said yes, that’s what it means.

2. Does it mean, “I don’t want a gift, but I WON’T be upset if you get me one”? That was the #1 answer by far with 46% of the vote.

3. “I DO want a gift, but I won’t be angry if I don’t get one.” 18% of the vote.

4. “I do want a gift, and I WILL be angry if I don’t get one.” 6% agreed. So 1 in 17 people think “don’t get me a gift” means the exact OPPOSITE of that. (The remaining 21% either didn’t answer or said it means something else.)

My head hurts just thinking about this.