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white elephant

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white elephant

Any useless and cumbersome gift. In Thailand the monarch would formerly present a white elephant to a person out of favour: being the country's sacred animal, it could not be used for work, and its upkeep was ruinously expensive.
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? Mentioned in ? References in classic literature
 
He ran his finger over them, and when he came to Siam he contemplated with great attention the red field and the white elephant.
Typhoon by Conrad, Joseph View in context
And I will not say what my first act was when I found myself alone with my white elephant in the middle of the room; enough that the siphon was still doing its work when the glass slipped through my fingers to the floor.
A Thief in the Night by Hornung, E. W. View in context
Then, follow white elephants caparisoned in countless gorgeous colours, and infinite in number and attendants.
The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Dickens, Charles View in context
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