A white elephant is something that costs more than it is worth to own, maintain, or operate, but which cannot easily be given up. An enormous house with unmanageable maintenance costs is a white elephant. A large public infrastructure project that drains public funds without serving enough users is a white elephant. The phrase often implies that acquiring the thing seemed desirable at the time, making the current predicament all the more frustrating.
In the kingdoms of ancient and medieval Southeast Asia, particularly Siam (modern Thailand), albino or very pale elephants were considered sacred animals with spiritual significance. They were royal property, could not be made to work, and required elaborate and expensive care. The King of Siam would give a white elephant as a gift to a courtier who had fallen out of favour. The recipient could not refuse the royal gift, sell it, or work it — he was obligated to maintain it at great personal expense until it died.
British traders and colonial administrators encountered the Siamese court's use of white elephants and brought the story back to Britain. The phrase entered English in the 19th century and was quickly adopted as a metaphor for any costly and impractical gift or possession. 'White elephant stalls' at church fetes — selling donated but unwanted items — extended the phrase to any object unwanted by its owner.
Yes. Albino and leucistic (very pale) Asian elephants exist, though they are genuinely rare. They were and remain of great religious and cultural significance in Thailand, Myanmar, and other Southeast Asian countries. White elephants are still considered royal property in Thailand today.
A popular holiday game in which participants bring wrapped gifts of low value. Players take turns selecting a gift or 'stealing' one already opened. The name suggests the gifts should be amusing, unusual, or of dubious practical use — items in the spirit of the original burdensome gift.