What He Really Thinks of Your Holiday Gift

The gift: A set of poker chipsWhat he's thinking: Jackpot! The necessity for Texas hold 'em all-nighters is programmed into every male's DNA. A gift like this lets him know that he has your permission to occasionally drink beer and smoke cigars with his smelly guy friends.

The gift: CologneWhat he thinks: This is a classic safe gift: personal, but not too personal, reasonably priced, available in every major department store. This gift says to him, I like you, but I'm keeping my options open.

The gift: An iPad miniWhat he's thinking: Just about all guys are tech geeks, and opening up that sleek box is the equivalent of finding a golden ticket in one of Willy Wonka's chocolate bars. No matter what, you've made an excellent choice. He can never have enough gadgets. Never.

The gift: Power toolsWhat he's thinking: The word power says it all: You have just empowered him to assemble furniture, to build a deck, to forge an empire. For a guy who is handy—and that's certainly not all of us—the sounds of the drill and the saw are the music of infinite possibility.

The gift: SocksWhat he's thinking: Socks are a great filler gift, the ideal stocking stuffer, or for that third or fourth night of Hannukah, after he's already opened his big-ticket presents. He'll say, I really need these, and he'll mean it.

The gift: A fancy watchWhat he's thinking: It's beautiful and useful, but in a throwback, analog way—something a sea captain would need. It's also a durable, heirloom object, the kind of thing a father might pass to his son, so the message is that you plan to be around for a good long time.

The gift: An espresso machineWhat he's thinking: Unless he's already a man with sophisticated tastes, this gift could signal that you're trying to change him. Like, if he starts drinking better coffee, maybe he'll start springing for dates at restaurants that don't have drive-thrus.

The gift: Single malt scotchWhat he's thinking: Scotch isn't just booze, it's a journey into the primordial past when men in kilts with shaggy beards blew rams' horns and battled with rusty axes. Give a man one of these bottles and he'll receive it with the respect and honor it deserves.

The gift: Cuff linksWhat he's thinking: This gift lets him know that you see him as a grownup (or would like to). For a man, a glint of silver when he shoots his cuffs forward is the reward of no longer dressing like a 12-year-old. A word of caution: Just because somebody designed cuff links shaped like sports cars or tiny skulls doesn't mean they're for your man. He should look classy, not like he's on his way to a snooker tournament.