White Elephant

A "white elephant" is a term used to describe a weighty possession that causes more trouble than it is worth, is frequently very expensive to maintain. Another idiom whose precise antecedents are obscure is this one. Around the middle of the 19th century, it first appeared in English print, but the term is thought to have come from Siam, now Thailand, where it was used in a very literal sense.

Kings kept white elephants at their courts because they were a rare and sacred animal that stood for peace and prosperity. As a result, it was extremely valuable, but as you might expect, maintaining one required a lot of time and money. If you were the king, it wouldn't be an issue; just ask your attendants to handle it. However, if you were someone else, possessing a real white elephant may have put you in financial ruin. Although there is no concrete evidence to support this, it is said that certain Siamese kings gave white elephants to people they disliked on purpose in order to impoverish them.