Origin of Phrases - I
Indian Giver
According to the 1907 book, Handbook of American Indians, in the colonial days of the United States, an "Indian gift" referred "to the alleged custom among Indians of expecting an equivalent for a gist or otherwise its return." The Handbook went on to label an "Indian giver" as a "repentant giver." Incidentally, this book was issued by the Smithsonian Institution.