What does the term white elephant mean?

Answer 1

Expensive and useless

A white elephant is a supposedly valuable possession whose upkeep exceeds its usefulness, and it is therefore a liability

Answer 2

Origin: 1850–55; from the tale that the King of Siam would award a disagreeable courtier a sacred white elephant, the upkeep of which would bankrupt the courtier.

white elephant
–noun 1. a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of: Our Victorian bric-a-brac and furniture were white elephants.
2. a possession entailing great expense out of proportion to its usefulness or value to the owner: When he bought the mansion he didn't know it was going to be such a white elephant.
3. an abnormally whitish or pale elephant, usually found in Thailand; an albino elephant.

Answer 3

The Definition is:

NOUN:

A rare, expensive possession that is a financial burden to maintain.

Something of dubious or limited value.

An article, ornament, or household utensil no longer wanted by its owner.

An endeavor or venture that proves to be a conspicuous failure.

A rare whitish or light-gray form of the Asian elephant, often regarded with special veneration in regions of southeast Asia and India.



But people also seem to refer to a white elephant as an important find among many common things (like finding something valuable to you at a yard sale).

Answer 4

white elephant originated as meaning a Gift of Burdon. One of the classic examples is when you give/get a gift that blatantly tops yours, just so you have to try to match it. (like a rich person giving someone a rolex on their Bday, so everyone else there feels outgifted). It can also be for things that you recieve that will cost more to maintain than theyre worth.

it now has many meanings though, one of the most common is the Goofy-gift exchange people do, which is mainly just gag gifts and such.

Answer 5

when you are going to a gift-exchange people usually say "bring a white elephant gift" this means to bring a gift that doesn't cost a lot, and isn't necessarily something someone is dying to have. it can be a silly paperweight or as random as a garden flamingo.

white elephant can also mean a luxury item that costs more than it is worth. this comes from the ancient east when nobility owned white elephants just because they were rare.

Answer 6

White elephants are not easy to find. So if you are dreaming of something you want or thinking/talking of the unachievable, people may mention it to be as good as a white elephant.

Answer 7

Usually applied to a stall at a fundraiser the stall consists of salable things that are not wanted or used by the donaters.

Answer 8

It's finding an unexpected bargain at a sale.

Answer 9

It is a sale where people try and get rid of their old junk.

I am not sure though....good question.