White elephant
Meaning
A white elephant is a valuable possession that is difficult and expensive to maintain and is ultimately useless or unprofitable.
Origin
In ancient Siam (modern Thailand), white elephants were considered sacred symbols of royal power and prosperity, so rare and revered that owning one was a great honor reserved for the king. However, these majestic creatures could not be put to work and demanded immense care and feeding. Legend has it that Siamese monarchs would sometimes bestow a white elephant upon a courtier or noble they wished to subtly ruin. The recipient, unable to refuse the king's 'generous' gift, would be financially crushed by the animal's exorbitant maintenance costs, transforming a supposed blessing into an inescapable burden. This practice gave birth to the phrase, signifying a possession that is costly to maintain and offers no practical benefit.
Examples
- The city's abandoned stadium project turned into a massive white elephant, a constant drain on public funds with no benefit.
- He quickly realized that the inherited antique car, while beautiful, was a total white elephant given the prohibitive cost of its upkeep.