World's Greatest Mugs: A Christmas Gift for Everyone on Your List

The joke: the mug points at them

Most "World's Best" mugs make a claim. This one presents evidence. The print reads This is what the World's Greatest Sister looks like, and two curved arrows at the top point up and out, at the face of whoever is drinking from it. Every time they lift it, the mug introduces them.

That is why it works better as a present than it sounds. It is a compliment with a straight face, which suits most British families: nobody has to say anything soppy out loud, because the crockery says it for them. It also works the other way. Give it to someone who is, on balance, not the world's greatest anything, and it becomes a running joke at their expense. Both are fair uses.

There are two colourways. The family and relationship mugs use a retro pink, plum and teal. The job mugs use mustard, orange and bottle green. Same layout, same arrows, same starbursts either side of "looks like".

For the family

The family range is where the small distinctions matter, because people are particular about what they are called.

Mums. There are four, and they are not interchangeable. Mum is the everyday British one. Mother is the formal version, for a milestone birthday or a mum who appreciates being addressed properly. Mummy is the verdict from small children, and makes a good first Christmas present. Mom is there for American spelling, and for the families who simply say it that way.

Dads follow the same pattern: Dad, Father and Daddy. Step-parents have their own: Stepdad, Stepmum and Stepmom. Those three tend to land harder than most, because the title is one somebody chose to earn.

Grandparents are where it gets political. The same woman can be Nan to one grandchild and Granny to the next, so pick the name the grandchildren actually use: Grandma, Granny, Nanny or Nanna. Grandfathers get Grandad or Grandpa.

Siblings and the wider family cover Sister, Brother, Son, Daughter, Auntie, Uncle, Niece, Nephew and Cousin. The sibling ones are the most fun to give, because a sibling will treat the mug as a formal ruling in an argument that has been running since about 1994.

The Mug

World's Greatest Sister Mug

The one that settles it. Pink, plum and teal lettering, starbursts either side, and two arrows pointing straight up at her every time she has a cup of tea. Every title in the range has the same design and comes in 11oz or 15oz, so this is also what the rest of the family's mugs look like.

View the mug

For partners

Husband, Wife, Boyfriend, Girlfriend and Fiance are the straightforward ones. They work as a stocking filler beside a bigger present, or as the present itself if you have agreed to keep things small this year and want to win anyway.

Then there is the World's Greatest Lover mug. It is a bold claim to make on someone's behalf, and it will sit on the breakfast table where visitors can read it. That is the point. Know your audience: it goes down well with a partner who can take a joke, and less well under the tree in front of their parents.

Weddings and christenings

A wedding the following year is a good excuse to start early. The Best Man and Bridesmaid mugs work as a Christmas way of asking someone to take the job, and again as a thank you afterwards. The Groom mug is a present from the bride on the morning of the wedding, while the title is still brand new.

For christenings and naming days there are Godfather and Godmother. Godparents are often the hardest people to buy for at Christmas: close enough that you should get them something, but not close enough to know what they want. A mug that names the promise they made is about right.

For work and Secret Santa

A mug is the default Secret Santa present for a reason: it fits the budget, everyone uses one, and it lives on a desk where the joke keeps going all year. A World's Greatest mug just narrows it down to the person.

Office roles: Manager, Director, Employer, Personal Assistant, Secretary, Consultant and IT Consultant, the last of which most offices owe a thank you to by December. There is a Boss one too. The Employer mug is the appraisal that runs the other way for once, from the team to the person who pays them.

Professions: Solicitor, Lawyer, Accountant, Banker, Engineer, Graphic Designer, Web Designer, Librarian and Teacher. For school, the Teacher mug is the end-of-term present that gets used every morning rather than left in a drawer with the scented candles.

Trades: Builder, Plumber, Mechanic, Decorator, Landscaper, Gardener, Farmer, Baker, Hairdresser and Dog Walker. A trade mug is also a good thank you for whoever fixed the boiler in November without making you feel stupid about it.

For the people who look after us

Christmas is when most of us remember the people who worked through the year so the rest of us did not have to worry. These mugs usually come from patients, families and grateful colleagues.

Health: Nurse, Midwife, Doctor, Surgeon, Paramedic, Pharmacist, Dentist, Therapist and Carer. For animals, there is the Vet mug, from the pet owners whose dog was calmer than they were.

Services: Firefighter, Police Officer and Postman. The Postman mug has a particular appeal in December, given what they are carrying. And there is a Student mug for anyone home from university and expecting a hero's welcome.

If their title is not on the list

Some people are the world's greatest at something no mug range would ever think of: a job title nobody outside their office understands, a nickname, or a role that only makes sense inside one family. For them there is the Personalised World's Greatest Mug. You supply the word in the middle, and the mug makes the claim on their behalf.

A practical note: every mug is printed to order in the UK, so leave a little time before Christmas rather than ordering on the last weekend. Both sizes are white ceramic and go in the dishwasher and microwave. The 15oz is the one to choose for anyone who regards a standard mug of tea as a starting point.

Still deciding? Start with the full World's Greatest range, or go straight to the Brother, Grandad or Nurse mugs.