Funny Christmas gift books for the whole family

Christmas shopping is an exercise in buying the same kind of gift for very different people. Dad wants nothing. Mom says she wants nothing but means something specific. Grandma wants you to come home. Grandpa wants to tell you about Christmas in 1958. The teacher has 31 mugs. The office has a $20 limit.

That’s eight people, and there are eight books.

Each book in The Unofficial Dictionary collects 500 things one kind of person says and translates them, deadpan, in dictionary style. Dad’s “I’ll put the lights up this weekend” means it is now December 22. Grandma’s “Don’t throw away the wrapping paper” means she’ll iron it and use it next year. The office’s “Holiday party!” means an open bar until 8:30, then a cash bar, then stories people tell until March.

They’re full color, illustrated, and under $16 each in paperback. They look like you planned ahead, even if you’re ordering on December 19. Each one has fill-in pages at the back for the family’s own originals, which gives everyone something to argue about after dinner.

Find the right one below, or browse the gift guides if your list has more people than chairs.