where does the term white elephant gift come from?

Question

I heard that it had something to do with a large outdoor plaster sculpture that Napoleon had created and melted in the rain. I'm seeking confirmation or additional details.

Answer 1

"The term derives from the white elephant of East Asia, which is high-maintenance and has no practical use, but is considered sacred in Burmese culture (and therefore cannot be neglected or abandoned). A white elephant would be gifted to an enemy in the hope of bringing them to financial ruin."

This is basically the idea that I've always heard--that the phrase came from the actual gifting of a literal white elephant, which is large, inconvenient, and useless, but must be kept.

Answer 2

The version I've heard of the term "white elephant" for something that's a burden on the owner comes from medieval India. When the maharajah intended to punish someone who'd crossed him, he didn't opt for execution. Instead, he made the offender responsible for taking care of a white elephant, and the accompanying expense to make sure the elephant had the very best would soon bankrupt the offender, a far more permanent and tortuous punishment that a merciful beheading.

Perhaps this article offers a better explanation than I can.

Answer 3

The term "white elephant" loosely refers to an old tradition of giving gift items consisting of old trinkets, knicknacks, or unwanted gifts from previous years (also known as "regifting"). The origin of the term is unclear. One possibility is that it originated when the King of France, in observance of an onerous tradition of lavish gift-giving, unloaded a rather inconvenient, ailing pet (a white elephant) on the King of England. Another possibility is that it originated in Thailand, where elephants are highly revered and white elephants are virtually sacred, the King of Thailand had the right to take any white elephant from anyone and replace it with a gray elephant. The dilemma this gift imposed is that the recipient had to fulfill tradition and honor the gift (keeping it alive) despite the tremendous inconvenience and expense it caused. Therefore, a traditional white elephant gift exchange involves ridiculous, often inconvenient gifts that nobody really wants.

According to the Facts & Records Book of Animals - on page 63, "Our expression 'white elephant' for an expensive and useless possession comes from the story of an American showman who spent a great deal of time and money trying to get one of these beasts on display. When he finally found one, the public was not interested."

Answer 4

Actually,it comes from India. You see the white elephant is considered a sacred animal and a symbol of good luck in most Asian countries. To kill it would mean a death penalty to the guilty party. In ancient India, when you were punished, you were given charge of caring for a white elephant. The term means - an item or property that has no value but needs a lot of money to maintain it.