These words are the true meaning of Christmas presents ...

It’s getting to that time of year when you better start practicing your best fake smile just in case you get a gift you detest.

We all know what it’s like to unwrap those beautifully wrapped Christmas gifts that promise all sorts of potential… but soon wipe the smile off your face when the inside doesn’t quite live up to the dazzling exterior.

It’s not too much of a problem when the giver of the disliked present isn’t around when you open it as you can simply toss it into the “don’t like” pile ready to shove into a drawer or mentally note to take it to the charity shop.

You can even mutter: “What on earth have they bought me THAT for?” when you know the person who bought it is not around to hear it.

But it’s a whole different dilemma when you unwrap your pressie in front of the gift-giver as you have to hurriedly shape your face into some semblance of being delighted with it while desperately trying to hide your true feelings to spare hurting their feelings.

However, a survey has revealed that what people say when they open a present can be a real indicator to what they really think about it.

Forget Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You which is normally enough to make me want to rip my own ears off, according to this research, the words you don’t want to hear someone utter when they unwrap a gift from you is: “It’s just what I always wanted.”

Apparently, the true translation of this is: “If I’d actually wanted this, I would have bought it myself.”

And if someone says: “Oh I love this but can I have the receipt so I can change it for a different colour/size”, you can bet your bottom dollar they’ll be trying to get a refund or exchanging it for something entirely different.

There’s all sorts of other hilarious interpretations of what people say and what they actually mean when they’re opening Christmas presents.

“How did you know I wanted that?” in reality means: “WHY would you think I wanted that?”

“That will go nicely with my… ” translates as: “There are only a handful of occasions when I would EVER use this.”

And “That’s so thoughtful” often means: “It was a nice thought ... but I wish you hadn’t had it.”

The findings say one of the few phrases you want to hear is: “I’ve actually been saving for one of these” which means: “I genuinely wanted this.”

Frighteningly, the poll from Vouchercodes.co.uk found up to 86 per cent of us “fake it” with our reaction when opening a Christmas gift.

Remembering your manners is always important and it IS the thought that counts.

Even if that thought was: “If I buy this cheap tat, it’ll save me some cash.”

Young children are priceless when they open a present they don’t want as they don’t have the tact filter adults have and howl: “Nooo! Clothes are boring!” or “I’ve already got that.”

Some people need to have more presence of mind when it comes to buying presents.