white [OE] The Old English word white, related to *wheat, is used in many English phrases. A white elephant [E18th] is a useless or unwanted possession, especially one that’s expensive to maintain. The originals [M16th] were real pale-skinned animals regarded as holy in some Asian countries, especially Siam (present-day Thailand). The story goes that it was the custom for a king of Siam to give one of these elephants to a courtier he particularly disliked: the unfortunate recipient could neither refuse the gift nor give it away later for fear of causing offence, and would end up financially ruined by the costs of looking after the animal. A whited sepulchre [LME] is a hypocrite. The phrase comes from Jesus’s condemnation of the Pharisees in the Gospel of Matthew: he likens them to whited sepulchres, or whitewashed tombs, ‘which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead mens’ bones, and of all uncleanness’.

The festival Whit Sunday [OE] or Whitsuntide [ME] also comes from white. It is a reference to the white robes worn by early Christians who were baptized at this time. White feather [L18th] as a sign of cowardice refers to a white feather in the tail of a fighting cock, seen as a sign of bad breeding. White-knuckle ride [1960s] refers to the effect caused by gripping tightly to side rails of a fairground ride. See also blackmail, blue.