A "white elephant" refers to a possession, project, or gift that is useless, troublesome, or expensive to maintain, despite its initial appearance of value. It describes something that costs far more to keep than it is worth, making it a financial or emotional burden.
A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of without extreme difficulty, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness.
Idiom of the Day: White Elephant Meaning: A possession that is expensive to maintain and is more troublesome than it is worth. Example Sentences: The old stadium has become a white elephant—no one plays there anymore. She bought a huge sofa that doesn't even fit the room. It's a total white elephant.
A white elephant gift exchange, Yankee swap or Dirty Santa is a party game where amusing and impractical gifts are exchanged during Christmas festivities. The goal of a white elephant gift exchange is to entertain party-goers rather than to give or acquire a genuinely valuable or highly sought-after item.
Why do we call something burdensome a 'white elephant'?
Why is an unwanted gift called a white elephant?
Owning the rare pachyderm was a high honor, but the story cemented the phrase as shorthand for a burdensome possession. According to legend, the King of Siam gave away sacred white elephants as grand (but burdensome) thank-you gifts.
What type of gift do you bring to a white elephant?
The organizer may require people to bring a gift that fits a certain theme. The most common one is a re-gift (i.e., an unwanted item that people have lying around the house). However, the theme could be anything – ornaments, coffee table books, candy, do-it-yourself crafts, etc.
A white elephant (also albino elephant) is a rare kind of elephant, but not a distinct species. Although often depicted as snow white, their skin is typically a soft reddish-brown, turning a light pink when wet. They have fair eyelashes and toenails.
"When the elephant walks, the earth listens." This powerful quote on elephants reflects the presence and influence of elephants. Just as their footprints leave a deep mark on the earth, their intelligence and existence leave an indelible mark on humanity.
Around here, I use the term White Elephant. However, depending on where you live, you might know the ever-popular Christmas gift exchange as Dirty Santa, Yankee Swap, or any number of other names.
/ˌwaɪt ˈelɪfənt/ [usually singular] a thing that has no use and is no longer needed, although it may have cost a lot of money. The new office block has become an expensive white elephant.
What is the metaphorical meaning of the white elephant?
A white elephant is a burdensome possession. When applied to investments, it can be used to describe anything that is expensive to maintain, unprofitable, and impossible to sell. In other words, a white elephant is a name given to undesirable investments that are more trouble than they are worth.
After helping a lost forester, the forester betrays him for a reward from the king, who ultimately shows kindness by granting the elephant his freedom. The moral emphasizes the importance of kindness and selflessness, highlighting that good deeds should be done without the expectation of rewards.
How much money should you spend on a white elephant gift?
However, anything between $10 and $25 should be appropriate for a white elephant gift. We have a great list of white elephant gifts under $25 that can give you some ideas.
The 5 Gift Rule for Christmas is a popular, simplified approach to gift-giving, limiting each person to five presents based on categories: Something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to read, and something to do/experience, with variations like "something to share" or "something to use". This tradition helps reduce holiday stress, clutter, and overspending by encouraging more thoughtful, purposeful, and experience-focused gifts rather than excessive materialism, promoting gratitude and mindfulness.
Christmas gifts are often exchanged on Christmas Eve (December 24), Christmas Day itself (December 25) or on the last day of the twelve-day Christmas season, Twelfth Night (January 5).
What is the average amount of Christmas gifts per child?
Our new What to Expect survey found that parents spend $164 per child on average, with Gen Z moms likely to spend more than Millennials. This is down from about $173 per kid in 2024.
Here's an example: Bribery makes a corporate gift unethical when it sways business decisions or produces unfair advantages. Giving extravagant gifts to clients to obtain major contracts counts as bribery. A small gift becomes unethical when someone offers it in expectation of receiving something back.
A good white elephant gift is inexpensive, entertaining, and suitable for a group exchange. Options that tend to be well-received include playful games, silly socks, quirky kitchen gadgets, or small novelty items that spark laughs without offending participants.
What happens if someone steals your present in white elephant?
Have any player who has a gift taken away either choose a new gift or take an already-opened gift from another player. The game continues with the following rules: If someone steals your gift, you can steal someone else's gift or choose and open a wrapped one. Continue until everyone has had a turn for a gift.
The point of White Elephant is to buy something ridiculous, whereas Yankee Swap is essentially the same gift-exchange process but with more useful gifts. Everyone brings in something and each person draws a number.
