On Friday we went to a white elephant party and naturally I needed to look up the origin of the phrase.

White elephants were sacred in Southeast Asian cultures (Thailand, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia) and since they could not be put to any practical use, the term “white elephant” eventually came to refer to an expensive-to-maintain item or project.

Legend has it that the king of Siam would give a white elephant to subjects who displeased him so they would be saddled with the expense of caring for the animal until they were financially ruined . Apparently this apocryphal story was brought to England in the 17th century and by the 19th century the term was used figuratively in the West.

The term white elephant is still used to refer to a burdensome possession, unprofitable investment, or expensive building project. It has also given the name to white elephant gift exchanges, in which participants bring unwanted items to trade, with the idea that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure or simply for the entertainment of unwrapping ridiculous items.