The Origin of the term White Elephant
Hello,
Friends know I’ve always had a fondness for elephants, ever since I made friends with Eli (pictured below) so when I stumbled across the history of white elephant today in “Word Perfect” by Susie Dent, I knew I’d have to blog about it.
Grand Bazaar fez, modeled by EliA white elephant is the term for “a burdensome charge, inconvenient thing that one does not know how to get rid of”. I’m currently clearing a multitude of such things from the spare bedroom in my house so I can install a writing desk. We accumulate them through our lives – unwanted gifts, gear for abandoned hobbies, leftover items from our children’s early years, and more. I had no idea, however, that a real elephant was involved. I thought it was just a term for a large, awkwardly shaped item that can’t be shoved into a cupboard and ignored. Apparently it’s a little more complex, and sneaky.
The expression dates to the mid 1800s and comes to English thanks to the King of Siam (now Thailand). Elephants were working animals in his kingdom but not if they were white. Albino elephants were highly revered and automatically became the property of the monarch. They were so important in the local culture that they featured on their national flag until 1917. However a non-working elephant still needs to be fed, housed, and cared for, which became a huge financial burden on the state.
In a superbly sneaky diplomatic move the kings of Thailand gifted a white elephant to those who displeased them. The recipient was duly honoured and had to keep the elephant but would be drained of money along the way. Thus the white elephant became a duty you can’t avoid but which is a burden.
Until next time happy reading, writing, and wordfooling,
Grace (@Wordfoolery)
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