What exactly is a white elephant?

Pictures provided by:
http://www.flickr.com/photo_zoom.gne?id=86326164&size=o
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/223160
http://www.sxc.hu/photo/396295
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:PortraitRama6.jpg

Author: hotforwords
Keywords: HotForWords hotforwords intelligence is sexy teacher etymology philology white elephant
Added: November 24, 2007

Original post by rss@youtube.com (hotforwords) and software by Elliott Back