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Previous Thread Next Thread Print Thread white elephant #112947 09/30/2003 12:43 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 From the Internet: "Where did the term "white elephant" originate? As the story goes, it had something to do with the great showman, P.T. Barnum. Barnum, always looking for a new source of entertainment to bring in the crowds, was earnestly seeking a new attraction when his prize attraction, Jumbo the Elephant, was killed by a train. Barnum needed a replacement and not just any replacement would do. Barnum decided that an albino elephant would do the trick and bring the masses back with their money. Barnum found a "white" elephant, but the problem was that most people who had paid good money to see the animal thought its color was closer to yellow than to white. Thus, the term "white elephant" represents something with a value exaggerated beyond its true worth. " Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: white elephant #112948 09/30/2003 12:57 PM Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Faldage Carpal Tunnel Faldage Carpal Tunnel Joined: Dec 2000 Posts: 13,803 Story I allus heard was the white elephant was highly valued by Siamese(?) society and to be given one was a great honor, but the visiting British found it to be more of a burden than an honor when faced with the problem of what to do with any elephants so generously imposed upon them. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: white elephant #112949 10/01/2003 12:45 PM Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,692 UK dxb Pooh-Bah dxb Pooh-Bah Joined: Mar 2002 Posts: 1,692 UK Yesterday's word had this derivation from Wordsmith: "From the King of Siam's reputed practice of awarding a white elephant to a courtier who had fallen out of favor. A white elephant was considered sacred and couldn't be put to work, so the upkeep of the animal would ruin its owner." Ed.: but I reckon all three of these stories are true, proving that a white elephant is highly undesirable. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: white elephant #112950 10/01/2003 1:44 PM Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 wwh Carpal Tunnel wwh Carpal Tunnel Joined: Jan 2001 Posts: 13,858 Dear dxb: But I'll bet Barnum made money from his white elephant, even if it was jaundiced. And I still think ir likely that he was responsible for "white elepnant" becoming widely known. Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Re: white elephant #112951 10/04/2003 5:17 PM Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Wordwind Carpal Tunnel Joined: Sep 2001 Posts: 6,296 Piedmont Region of Virginia, U... Did these white (or yellowish) elephants have pink eyes? Do all albinos have pink eyes? I don't think so. It seems recently I saw something I've forgotten that was white--and white was not typical of this species--but it did not have pink eyes. So I wondered whether it could have been a true albino. If I remember what it was that I saw, I'll add its name here... Copy Link to Clipboard Share Post on Facebook Share Post on Twitter Moderated by  Jackie  Hop To General Topics ------  Information and announcements  Q&A about words  Wordplay and fun  Words and languages in schools  Miscellany  Weekly Themes  Looking for (writers, speakers,... (Old) Weekly themes. (have been... ------  Words from medicine  Beheading words  Meta-words  Words from classical mythology  Animal Safari  Words with unusual etymologies  Eponyms or words derived from p...  Loanwords from German  English as a global language Print Thread Switch to Threaded Mode Show Likes Link Copied to Clipboard View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Website Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary View Profile Private Message Follow User Forum Posts Like Summary

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