Do you say a show is "giving", or do you say that a show is "on"?

Question

My friend and his brother both say something like "When is (show title) giving?" "(Show title) is giving right now". They argue that saying a show is "on" doesn't make any sense. But I suspect they grew up with it because their parents are Portuguese (who can speak English) but maybe their parents translated a Portuguese phrase into English.

I myself, and everyone else i know says a show is "on". This isn't a big deal or anything, but I was wondering if anyone else out there does say that "giving" phrase.

Answer 1

i say on, but i've heard people say giving... lol, for example, if you were to directly translate it from spanish, it's also giving..

Answer 2

well, i have a friend who is portuguese...

and usually when hes watching t.v or flipping through channels

he says, "Theres nothing good giving." So....... i don't know ]=

i guess its something like that..

his parents speak portuguese and english and so does he  

Answer 3

how can shows give. I would stick with saying the show is on so you don't sound like a idiot.  

Answer 4

That's an excellent example of how the infamous "translation softwares" (don't) work...

It's true in portuguese the expression is "Quando é que dá o programa?" This translated literally, word by word, like your friends do and like a computer also does, is something like "When is this show giving?"...

So yes, your portuguese friends are translating that incorrectly from portuguese to english.

Answer 5

im more of a show is on kinda girl personally haha but it could be the translation between lang. are they able to speak full portuguese  

Answer 6

hmm... i've never heard that phrase before.

i always say the show is on

Answer 7

hahaha that is weird. maybe that would make sense to them in their country or what ever. but it doesnt make any sense to me at all. lol weirddd.

Answer 8

"on"  nevre heard of "giving"

Answer 9

lol that makes no sence.

how is a show giving?

lol wtf i have NEVER heard someone say that

Answer 10

i say my favorite shows on

or (show title) is on

Answer 11

I think you are right: your friends learned that phrase incorrectly. (But the funny think is, when a large group of people do that, that's sometimes how new dialects are formed.)

Answer 12

nope i can't say i've ever heard of that phrase.  I just say on just like you and everyone else i've met.

Answer 13

well where i come from everyone says "the shows on"

i  have never head of someone saying the show is giving