I have caught my white elephant, but what am i to do with him. Thailand still maintains a royal elephant stable complete with ten white elephants and the white elephant is still featured in the ensign of the royal thai navy. Colesworthy grant white elephant kept by the king at amarapura palace, 1855. White albino elephants were regarded as holy in ancient times in thailand and other asian countries.
A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost particularly cost of. It certainly is better than albino pachyderm or thaim to eat a quick search showed that not only does your thai. A comedic short about the joys of a white elephant christmas exchange. Physician richard berringer, his wife, ann, and their thirteenyear. For actual white elephants and their cultural aspects, see white elephant animal. The slopes like white elephants is a short story that is around an american man and a young lady called dance.
Feb 25, 2020 elephant in the room, white elephant, and 800pound gorilla are three english idioms that have often been confused and combined. What springs to mind if you think of the phrase white elephant. White elephant meaning in the cambridge english dictionary. Keeping a white elephant was a very expensive undertaking, since the owner had to provide the elephant with special food and provide access for people who wanted to worship it. The term comes from a story about the king of siam, who was said to have given an albino elephant, considered sacred, to a member of the court whom he disliked, knowing that taking care of the animal would exhaust the persons fortune. Audience familiarity awareness is one of the steps in a successful marketing campaign. And this is what in tempo has become, as a new bank tries desperately to recoup. It was a popular expression of the mid to late 19th century throughout the united states in the mexicanamerican war, the texan santa fe expedition, the american civil war, the 1849 gold rush, and the westward expansion trails oregon trail, california trail. White elephant article about white elephant by the free. If youre looking for a fun way to exchange gifts with friends, family or work colleagues this christmas season consider a white elephant gift exchange. A business or investment that is unprofitable and is likely to remain unprofitable.
Elephant in a raffle, white elephant, and the gift of the white elephant a history and etymology of twoandahalf idio. White elephants and other great idioms albert jack books. This palatial building is a white elephant for the government because it has to spend a lot. Definition of white elephant in the idioms dictionary. Definition of whiteelephant noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary. White elephants were once considered highly sacred creatures in thailandthe animal even graced the national flag until 1917but they were also wielded as a subtle form of. Twoandahalf more idioms white elephants and yankee swaps. To accuse something of being a white elephant is to label it a burden to. Dec 15, 2014 in the early 1900s, people started having white elephant sales in stores, or exchanges between people in markets, and eventually it manifested into the white elephant parties we know and love today. In red herrings and white elephants, albert jack has uncovered the amazing and sometimes downright bizarre stories behind many of our most familiar and eccentric modes of expression. Twoandahalf idioms the history and etymology of white elephants. I use my scholastic book club bonus points to get a fun selection of gift books. How to host a white elephant bookgift exchange scholastic. In 1855 the white chakra was dropped and thus the vexillum was a red field with a white elephant in the centre as such, the film stands as a beautiful white elephant, a flagrant waste of time and resources york would gain absolutely nothing in having an airport, except perhaps a huge white elephant that would cost a large amount of money accused of being an expensive white.
Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Legend has it, kings of siam now thailand used to give actual white elephants to people they wanted to punish. Yet again, china has embarked on a prestige project. Wherefore, what offering could be so meet as that of a white elephant. In that post, i suggested that the idiom gift of a white elephant 1859 may have been derived. White elephants are real and not a legend like other elephant in a raffle, white elephant, and the gift of the white elephant a history and etymology of twoandahalf idio. An alcoholic character in jack londons 19 novel john barleycorn is said to hallucinate blue mice and pink elephants. From an investment perspective, it refers to an investment, property. The highest award of the kingdom of thailand to a nonmember of the royal family is the knight commander most exalted order of the white elephant as shown below. Definition of white elephant noun in oxford advanced learners dictionary.
But this is an argument about environment, not inheritance. The term dates back to at least the early 20th century, emerging from earlier idioms about snakes and other creatures. The phrase white elephant, meaning something excessive that turns out to be valueless, stems from toung taloungs sojourn far from home. The idiom, like the man who won an elephant in a raffle, is attested in 1848. Bold women in black history and i am enough, both brought to the gift.
White elephant definition, a possession unwanted by the owner but difficult to dispose of. The newer idiom, gift of the white elephant emerged in about 1860. In an earlier post, twoandahalf idioms the history and etymology of white elephants, i surveyed the history of the idiomatic use of elephants generally, and white elephants, specifically, to convey the idea of an expensive and useless, yet prestigious or desirable burdens. A possession that is unwanted or is a financial burden. A white elephant is a burdensome possession one that is more trouble than it is worth. How can a beautiful white elephant be a terrible curse. This is a cover of a book of sheet music called the new york and coney island cycle march two step in. An unwanted item that is difficult to sell or dispose of. Red herrings and white elephants by albert jack goodreads. A white elephant gift exchange, yankee swap or dirty santa is a party game where amusing, impractical gifts are exchanged during festivities.
Where did the term white elephant come from, and why do. Yes, the elephants were valuable and respected, but that also meant. The origins of the phrases we use every day albert. It was completely independent of the bodleian, readers were few in number. Origins of common idioms you use all the time readers digest. White elephant definition of white elephant by the free. A white elephant used to be considered a sacred and tremendously valuable animal. A white elephant is a possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. Dec 19, 2006 a comedic short about the joys of a white elephant christmas exchange. A white elephant the meaning and origin of this phrase. The gift of the nabob a regularold elephant update of the. The phrase white elephant was used figuratively, in the sense of a burden, at least as early as 1851, if not as early as 1750. If a thai king became dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant. Yet another nautical phrase with its origin far out at sea.
Three of my favorite words in the english language are judgment free zone, and nothing in the world personifies that notion more than a white elephant party. While it is true the phrase white elephant has the meaning of a useless item, it is a term which people are already familiar with and so might find easy to remember. Learn the origin of this classic game and explore gift ideas so your present is the one everybody fights over. The origins of phrases, punctuation marks, and cockney rhyming slang. In modern usage, it is an object, building project, scheme, business venture, facility, etc. For the white elephant gift exchange, i provide all of the books for the exchange, wrapped in paper lunch bags and stacked at the center of the rug. White elephants are actually albino by skin pigmentation and when determined white by a special committee are donated to the king of thailand for his protection. You might be familiar with a game in which everyone.
The strategist s celebrity white elephant gift exchange 25 gifts over 25 days. White elephant definition and meaning collins english. Definition of a white elephant in the idioms dictionary. The nook book ebook of the red herrings and white elephants. Bold women in black history and i am enough, both brought to the gift exchange by w. Overbudget, unsuccessful, and embarrassing architecture projects from around the world. Unpacking the history of the popular gift exchange game. The origins of the phrases we use everyday kindle edition. One of barnums american competitors killed an elephant by repeated applications of white paint. Audience familiarity awareness is one of the steps in a successful marketing c.
Where did the term white elephant come from, and why do we. If you happen to be a bootlegger, your profession recalls the wild west outlaws who sold illegal alcohol by concealing slender bottles of whiskey in their boots. The gift of the nabob a regularold elephant update of. What is the significance of the phrase white elephant in. The origins of the phrase come from siam modernday thailand. The white elephant is a wonderful book by a legendary childrens author, sid fleischman. White elephants and the king of siam almost history. Under the auspices of white elephants the origins of phrases.
A white elephant is an investment whose cost of upkeep is not in line with how useful or valuable the item is. It was a popular expression of the mid to late 19th century throughout the united states in the mexicanamerican war, the texan santa fe expedition, the american civil war, the 1849 gold rush, and the westward expansion trails oregon trail, california trail, mormon trail. The meanings of all three are discussed, as well as their usage. A white elephant is a possession which its owner cannot dispose of and whose cost. Few people in england would associate this idiom directly with elephas maximus, the asian elephant, or imagine its root. The origins of the phrases we use everyd by albert jack at barnes. Why do we call that holiday game yankee swap, white. Our victorian bricabrac and furniture were white elephants. They are sitting at a table outside a prepare station, sitting tight for a prepare to madrid. Twoandahalf more idioms white elephants and yankee. His blend of twains wit and ohenrys love of language brings this story of a boy and his elephants to life in a way no one else could. Dec 26, 2015 what does the idiom white elephant mean. The strategists celebrity white elephant gift exchange the. The origins of hundreds of common phrases are explained in this irreverent journey through the most fascinating and.
She also published the white elephant party instructions in book form, in a collection of her articles published in 19. Feb 21, 2020 white elephant plural white elephants an albino elephant. References to indian and thai veneration of white elephants dates back to at least the early 17th century. We wanted to sell our old office building after we moved out, but its turned into a white elephant. Oct 30, 2014 the later idiom, to receive the gift of the white elephant, is nearly identical in form and meaning to the elephant in a raffle idiom, but is intensified by the allusion to the even higher costs associated with keeping a white elephant in luxury. This content first appeared in the september 2018 issue of bbc history revealed. Seeing pink elephants is a euphemism for drunken hallucination caused by alcoholic hallucinosis or delirium tremens. It was a popular expression of the mid to late 19th century throughout the united states in the mexicanamerican war, the texan santa fe expedition, the american civil war, the 1849 gold rush, and the westward expansion. Red herrings and white elephants albert jack ebook. The 10 greatest white elephants david shariatmadari. The goal of a white elephant gift exchange is to entertain partygoers rather than to gain a genuinely valuable or highly soughtafter item. If youre scratching your head wondering what the heck a white elephant gift exchange is, well wonder no longer. The amount of income generated by a white elephant car park must be known, an angry councillor has demanded car parking prices across powys are to increase again with charges up to ps1 for an hour, ps2 for one to two hours, ps3 for two to four hours, and ps4 for more than four hours.
He used stories of real elephants to create the connection between the boy and his animal friends. In the case of a business, a business usually becomes known as a white elephant if it is unable to turn a profit because it is so expensive to operate and maintain. A white elephant is an expression used to describe something that has become a burden to those. Gift exchanges are a big part of american christmas culture, often with a variety of creative spins on the tradition. As amato reveals, the phrase has disturbing echoes. That many white kids may spend more hours studying than many black kids may well be an argument that some minority parents are negligent in compelling their children to hit the books. The order of the white elephant, founded in 1861, is in five classes. Get an answer for what is the significance of the phrase white elephant in the story hills like white elephants.
Depending on where you grew up, you may call the popular gift exchange game yankee swap, white elephant or dirty santa. The amount of income generated by a white elephant car park must be known, an angry councillor has demanded car parking prices across powys are to increase again with charges up to ps1 for an hour, ps2 for one to two hours, ps3 for two to. I dare say he thought the gift horse was something of a white elephant. Elephant in the room, white elephant, and 800pound gorilla are three english idioms that have often been confused and combined. Some of the stadiums being built for the world cup soccer tournament, scheduled for next year, have. A white elephant is an idiom for a valuable possession of which its owner cannot dispose and whose cost particularly cost of upkeep is out of. A party where people usually family, friends, or a combo of the two get together and have a game where you unwrap, steal, and trade off presents never actually useful in real life. We use these phrases every day, yet how many of us know what they really mean or where they came from. If you describe something as a white elephant, you mean that it is a waste of money.
Times, sunday times 2008 word lists with white elephant. Unused and unloved olympic venues around the world. The phrase seeing the elephant is an americanism which refers to gaining experience of the world at a significant cost. Ownership of a white elephant was and still is regarded as a powerful symbol of the monarchs power and justice and was seen as a blessing on the kingdom. Very few people are interested in owning or purchasing something considered to. The strategists celebrity white elephant gift exchange. Elephants are usually brown or grey in color, but have you ever seen a white elephant before.