A white elephant is a possession that its owner cannot dispose of without extreme difficulty, and whose cost, particularly that of maintenance, is out of proportion to its usefulness. In modern usage,
A white elephant at the Amarapura Palace in 1855
Boothtown Aqueduct, Western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
A white elephant gift exchange, Yankee swap or Dirty Santa is a party game where amusing and impractical gifts are exchanged during Christmas festivities. The goal of a white elephant gift exchange is
A man "steals" a gift in a white elephant gift exchange, while its previous owner is reluctant to relinquish it.
Woman triumphantly showing a pineapple at a white elephant gift exchange at a Minnesota Roller Girls holiday party.