If you have a white elephant gift exchange at work this year or with friends and family, there’s a good chance you’re scrambling right now to find a good gift — or decipher what even makes a good white elephant gift. The possible origins of the term “white elephant” provide one way of looking at it: According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. It was a far more devious punishment than simply having them executed. The recipient had no choice but to simply thank the king for such an opulent gift, knowing that they likely could not afford
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