white whale (also great white whale)
noun

- an objective that is relentlessly or obsessively pursued but difficult to achieve

- a goal that you are determined to achieve, or something that you are determined to get, especially if this is very difficult

- another term for a beluga whale

Oxford Languages, Cambridge DIctionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The term "white whale" as a metaphor has its origins in Herman Melville's 1851 novel "Moby-Dick; or, The Whale." In this literary classic, Captain Ahab relentlessly hunts the white sperm whale Moby Dick, who had previously taken his leg. Ahab's monomaniacal pursuit becomes an all-consuming obsession that ultimately leads to his destruction. Throughout the novel, the white whale represents something simultaneously tangible yet nearly impossible to capture—an embodiment of Ahab's personal vendetta and psychological fixation.

The metaphorical usage entered common English usage gradually after the novel's publication. While "Moby-Dick" wasn't an immediate commercial success upon release, it gained critical recognition in the early 20th century. By the mid-to-late 20th century, "white whale" had become established in American English as shorthand for an elusive, challenging goal pursued with potentially destructive obsession.

The phrase gained further popularity in business, collecting, and achievement contexts, where it represents rare, elusive opportunities or acquisitions that people pursue despite significant challenges.

Today, someone might refer to finding a rare collectible, landing a particular career opportunity, or completing an extraordinarily difficult project as their "white whale”.

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TWO WHITE WHALES

(1) Terry Gilliam's Quixotic Quest

In 1989, former Monty Python member Terry Gilliam embarked on what would become one of cinema's most notorious production sagas: adapting Cervantes' "Don Quixote" for the screen. His vision, initially titled "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," became a legendary exercise in persistence against seemingly supernatural opposition. The first production collapsed in 2000 amid biblical flooding that washed away equipment, NATO fighter jets disrupting sound recording, and lead actor Jean Rochefort's debilitating health problems—all captured in the heartbreaking documentary "Lost in La Mancha" (2002).

Five subsequent attempts followed, plagued by financial collapses, casting changes, and legal disputes. Johnny Depp, Ewan McGregor, Robert Duvall, John Hurt, and Adam Driver all cycled through roles. Gilliam suffered a stroke in 2018, yet still completed filming. After three decades, changing his script seventeen times, and declaring bankruptcy, Gilliam's white whale finally surfaced at Cannes in May 2018 as "The Man Who Killed Don Quixote," starring Adam Driver and Jonathan Pryce. Critics responded with respectful if muted appreciation—the journey ultimately more remarkable than the destination.

(2) Translating Finnegans Wake

When James Joyce published "Finnegans Wake" in 1939 after 17 years of writing, he delivered what many consider literature's most untranslatable text—a dreamlike narrative written in a language of Joyce's invention, blending approximately 60 languages into multilingual puns and neologisms. The first translation attempt began surprisingly quickly, with Joyce himself assisting a French team in 1940 before his death. Their partial translation wasn't published until 1982.

Japanese scholars made the first complete translation in 1993 after 30 years of work, with translator Yanase Naoki confessing it was "impossible" but necessary. The Chinese translation by Dai Congrong took eight years for just one-third of the book, finally published in 2013 to unexpected commercial success. Polish translator Krzysztof Bartnicki spent 15 years on his version, completing it in 2012. Each translator has developed unique philosophies about what constitutes "success"—some prioritizing rhythm, others semantic range, others the reading experience. The work continues worldwide, but with no consensus on whether anyone has truly succeeded.

Helga & Paul Smith

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SYNONYMS

chasing dragons, cursed ambition, elusive crown (dream), endless chase, golden fleece, haunting obsession, hard nut to crack, holy grail, lifelong struggle, Mount Everest, never-ending hunt, obsessive quest, quixotic/relentless chase (pursuit), rolling the boulder, shimmering promise, sisyphean task, the big one, the dream that won't die, WHITE WHALE

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“Terry Gilliam’s adaptation of Cervantes' "Don Quixote" was a WHITE WHALE which was achieved, but sadly underappreciated”

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