A gift is said to be pure and simple when no condition or qualification is annexed.

Explanation

(English-origin maxim.) A gift made without conditions or qualifications is absolute and irrevocable from the moment of delivery — no strings may be implied where none were expressed.

Where this applies

• A woman hands her friend an envelope of cash and says it is a gift with no strings attached — the gift is absolute and cannot be taken back.
• A donor gives a painting to a museum with no conditions about where it must be displayed, making it a pure gift that the museum may use as it sees fit.
• A father gives his son a car outright, no conditions, and later cannot demand it back because a pure gift is irrevocable once delivered.