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The Government of Canada’s terminology and linguistic data bank.
white elephant [1 record]
Record 1 - internal organization data 1994-09-08
Record 1, English
Record 1, Subject field(s)
- General Vocabulary
Record 1, Main entry term, English
- white elephant
1, record 1, English, white%20elephant
correct
Record 1, Abbreviations, English
Record 1, Synonyms, English
Record 1, Textual support, English
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 DEF
a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit. 1, record 1, English, - white%20elephant
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 CONT
I see no reason to make Dorval and its passengers suffer because Mirabel is presently a white elephant. 2, record 1, English, - white%20elephant
Record 1, French
Record 1, Domaine(s)
- Vocabulaire général
Record 1, Main entry term, French
- éléphant blanc
1, record 1, French, %C3%A9l%C3%A9phant%20blanc
correct, masculine noun
Record 1, Abbreviations, French
Record 1, Synonyms, French
Record 1, Textual support, French
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 DEF
Entreprise qui exige énormément de dépenses et qui rapporte peu. 2, record 1, French, - %C3%A9l%C3%A9phant%20blanc
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 1 OBS
Il semble que cette expression vienne du fait que les rois de Siam offraient aux courtisans indésirables des éléphants blancs, cadeau encombrant et dispendieux, dans le but de les ruiner. 2, record 1, French, - %C3%A9l%C3%A9phant%20blanc
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 2 OBS
Symbole de la campagne publicitaire de Transports Canada pour "mousser" Mirabel. Bien qu'il s'agisse d'une translittération, l'emploi de ce terme peut se justifier au point de vue sémantique parce qu'anciennement, en Asie, ces éléphants albinos d'apparat coûtaient fort cher et ne servaient pas à grand-chose. [Renseignement : 2du]. 3, record 1, French, - %C3%A9l%C3%A9phant%20blanc
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 3 OBS
éléphant blanc : langage familier. 4, record 1, French, - %C3%A9l%C3%A9phant%20blanc
Record number: 1, Textual support number: 4 OBS
éléphant blanc (familier) : Terme entériné par le Comité linguistique de Radio-Canada et le Secrétariat d'État du Canada. 4, record 1, French, - %C3%A9l%C3%A9phant%20blanc
Record 1, Spanish
Record 1, Textual support, Spanish
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