Did you give--or get--any "Goldfish gifts" this holiday season?

One of my Facebook friends introduced me to this phrase, explaining that it means "a present whose lifespan is about equal to that of the goldfish you win at carnivals by tossing a ping-pong ball into their bowls."

My "Goldfish gift" didn't turn out to be the present my eight-year-old bought me at the school's Santa's Secret Shop, to my surprise.  Instead of cheesy costume jewelry, another coffee mug, or a highlighter labeled "World's Best Mom," he got me a clip-on book light.  It works great with my Kindle, and it shows that he really was thinking about what I would like and use when he chose my gift.

However, the very nice (and quite pricey) wristwatch that my husband got for me didn't even last as long as one of those carnival goldfish.  The watch battery was dead on arrival.

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