What is a "white elephant" gift?

Answer 1

It's a game.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_elephant_gift_exchange

Answer 2

If I remember correctly, and I often do not, a "white elephant" meant a gift that looked like it would be very beautiful and rare, but simply ended up very expensive, unwanted, and falling flat like ... well ... a recently tranquilized elephant.

It becomes an albatross, stands out, cannot be taken back, is recognizable wherever you go, is hard to forget, and ends up an expensive mistake.

However, I'm not sure that a "white elephant gift" is based on the same thing. So many new phrases are made up everyday that it's never really certain.

A previous poster said much the same thing, so I'm not totally off-base and thought I'd throw in my support for his interpretation, at least.

Oh, for what it is worth, sometimes you can get quite a bit of mileage out of expensive but undesirable gifts, embarrassment often leads to a very freeing moment for comedy, it can set you free to really let loose , making the moment overcome the memory of the gift. But try to make it not too expensive and not too obvious, that way you can enjoy the embarrassment more often and turn a negative into a positive oopsy gift-giving moment.

Answer 3

I'm glad you asked that....I just saw another question asking what a good white elephant gift would be. I thought it was like the secret Santa gift exchange.

What a neat idea for getting rid of things you don't want and not offending anyone, as they all know that this is the purpose.

Could be embarrassing I suppose, if the person who got your "white elephant" gift, actually gave you the thing you are trying to get rid of.

Answer 4

Expanding on what silverbirch said...

White Elephants were indeed considered sacred especially in Indian folklore. By usual standards an elephant is very expensive to maintain but the pay-off is that they can do enough hard work in a day to justify paying for its food and erm.. maintenance. Their natural life is also 100 years approximately.
However a white elephant is Sacred and in that line one cannot commit it to any labor and must take excellent care of it. Therefore a beautiful gift but a liability (since white elephants are also rare, citing folklore).

In real world sense, let's say someone gifted you a private jet which is great , but you cannot afford to keep it (pay for hanger, pay for pilot, pay for maintenance and overhaul and ofcourse fuel). So its a white elephant gift or a white elephant eu generale.

Answer 5

Traditionally, a "White Elephant" is something lying around the house that you don't want (some horridly ugly item that someone gave you as a gift or some other item unwanted for some reason). Basically its regifting.

Answer 6

A white elephant gift can be a gag gift. you know like giant underwear?

Answer 7

White elephants (albinos) were considered sacred, and could bankrupt countries, even though they were a great honour to recieve.

It has passed in to the language as anything given to you that you don't want, or an expensive mistake you are stuck with.

Answer 8

If you can pull this off you will be the hit of the party. Call or go to banks in your area that exchange U.S. Dollars into Zimbabwe Dollars. For $15 you can buy $5300 Zimbabwe Dollars. Wrap them in a box. When the person opens the box they will freak! Unless they've been following the news and know that the Zimbabwe Dollar is worth less than a sheet of toilet paper. You want a gift they will be fighting over? This is it.

Answer 9

is an animal live under the sea lol
didnt hear about white elephant before

Answer 10

A white elephant gift is something you already have but want to get rid of. it could be a regift or just something you no longer want.

Answer 11

gifts that are wrapped up placed on a table with no name tag except lady or gentleman then each person picks a gift that is in the exchange which they did not bring