Term white elephant
A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage, it is a metaphor used to describe an object, construction project, scheme, business venture, facility, etc. considered expensive but without … See more The term derives from the sacred white elephants kept by Southeast Asian monarchs in Burma, Thailand (Siam), Laos and Cambodia. To possess a white elephant was regarded—and is still regarded in Thailand … See more • White elephant gift exchange • Hills Like White Elephants • Bridge to nowhere • Escalation of commitment (sunk cost fallacy) See more • Jeffrey A. McNeely; Paul Spencer Sochaczewski (1995). "Chapter 9: Ganesh the Potbellied Elephant God". Soul of the Tiger: Searching for Nature's Answers in Southeast Asia See more • Media related to White elephants at Wikimedia Commons See more Web31 Dec 2024 · Shantanu Panja, a science research analyst affiliated to the Apollo Gleneagles Hospitals, Kolkata, India, says that “sometimes, white elephant projects become political face-saving exercises, or a public spectacle rather than a utilitarian project”. Panja cites biofuel projects in South-East Asia that never really lived up to the hype.
Term white elephant
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Weba thing that is useless and no longer needed, although it may have cost a lot of money The new office building has become an expensive white elephant. From the story that in Siam (now Thailand) the king would give a white elephant as a … Web18 Dec 2024 · In Thai and Buddhist cultures, white elephants ― which are not snow white but rather more ruddy-colored or pinkish ― have a sacred quality. According to the …
Web11 Aug 2014 · white elephant (n.) white elephant. (n.) "burdensome charge, inconvenient thing that one does not know how to get rid of," 1851, supposedly from the practice of the King of Siam of presenting one of the sacred albino elephants to a courtier who had fallen from favor; the gift was a great honor, but the proper upkeep of one was ruinously … Web23 Nov 2024 · Origin of the White Elephant Term and Myth. As far as using the term white elephant to describe something essentially useless, that didn’t happen till the 19th century but no one is exactly sure how it happened. In the 18th century the term white elephant was used, rarely, to refer to something valuable, but a century later it meant the opposite.
Web30 Sep 2024 · The white elephant gift exchange is a popular holiday tradition in many parts of the world. The basic premise is simple: each participant brings wrapped gifts to the party, and the gifts are then randomly assigned to different people. The catch is that the gifts should be something that the giver does not want, but that they think the recipient ... Webnoun. Synonyms of white elephant. 1. : an Asian elephant of a pale color that is sometimes venerated in India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, and Myanmar. 2. a. : a property requiring much …
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WebA “white elephant” is something you have, but don’t want, and can’t dispose of. The expression comes from a story about Siam (Thailand). White elephants (which occur in … in united states v. lopezWeb29 Nov 2024 · The white elephant was also a respected symbol in Thai and Buddhist cultures, so you couldn’t get away with regifting it or putting it to work.” in units of oneWebThe term white elephant refers to an extravagant, but impractical, gift that cannot be easily disposed of. The phrase is said to come from the historic practice of the King of Siam (now Thailand) giving rare albino elephants to courtiers who had displeased him, so that they might be ruined by the animals' upkeep costs. While the first use in unit washer \\u0026 dryerWebWhite (albino) elephants were regarded as holy in ancient times in Thailand and other Asian countries. Keeping a white elephant was a very expensive undertaking, since the owner had to provide the elephant with special … in unity 2022WebA white elephant (also albino elephant) [1] 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. [2] They have fair eyelashes and toenails. in unity a static variable is one thatWeb11 Oct 2024 · The Thai word for elephant is chang, and a white elephant is a chang pheuak. According to Rita Ringis, “ chang pheuak . . . literally means ‘albino (or strange-coloured) elephant’, the usual word for the colour ‘white’ being different entirely.” in units of one monthWeb26 Apr 2024 · Today, the term ‘white elephant’ denotes any burdensome, expensive and useless possession that is much more trouble than it is worth. The origins of the phrase … in unity 2018