"Elephant in the room" (also "elephant in the sitting room", "elephant in the living room", "elephant in the parlor", "elephant in the corner", "elephant on the dinner table", "elephant in the kitchen", and "elephant on the coffee table") is an English idiom for an obvious truth that is being ignored or goes unaddressed. The idiomatic expression also applies to an obvious problem no one wants to discuss.[1]
It is based on the idea that an elephant in a room would be impossible to overlook; thus, people in the room who pretend the elephant is not there might be concerning themselves with relatively small and even irrelevant matters, compared to the looming big one.
Contents |
Origins
The Oxford English Dictionary gives the first recorded use of the phrase as The New York Times on June 20, 1959: "Financing schools has become a problem about equal to having an elephant in the living room. It's so big you just can't ignore it."[2] The phrase does appear in the pages of the Education Journal 1915: "Most of the questions are infantine and less amusing than the prehistoric Balbus and his wall: "Is there an elephant in the class-room?"."[3]
Usage
The term refers to a question, problem, solution, or controversial issue that is obvious, but which is ignored by a group of people, generally out of embarrassment or taboo. The idiom can imply a value judgment that the issue ought to be discussed openly, or it can simply be an acknowledgment that the issue is there and not going to go away by itself.
The term is often used to describe an issue that involves a social taboo, such as race or religion. This idiomatic phrase is applicable when a subject is emotionally charged; and the people who might have spoken up decide that it is probably best avoided.[4]
The idiom is commonly used in addiction recovery terminology to describe the reluctance of friends and family of an addicted person to discuss the person's problem, thus aiding the person's denial. It is sometimes invoked as a "pink elephant", possibly in reference to alcohol abuse.
Similar
The phrase "800 lb gorilla in the room" or "800 lb gorilla" is a similar idiomatic expression; however, it refers to a large, unstoppable individual or organization that can exert its will as it desires (e.g. "Characterized by the leading fly-fishing trade journal as an '800-pound gorilla' in the fly-fishing industry, Orvis is recognized for its 'unparalleled influence on the sport'.")[5]
See also
Notes
- ^ Cambridge University Press. (2009). Cambridge academic content dictionary, p. 298.
- ^ "OED, Draft Additions June 2006: elephant, n.". OUP. http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50073129?. Retrieved 2008-11-11.
- ^ __________. (1915). Journal of education, Vol. 37, p. 288; n.b., plausible proverbial factoid that "Balbus built a wall" derives from a Latin exercise book in use in British Empire education around 1900 -- exercises from Latin to English, vice versa or both with sentences like "Balbus murum fecit."
- ^ Palta, Namrata. (2007). Spoken English: a Detailed and Simplified Course for Learning Spoken English, p. 95.
- ^ Daniel, Joseph E. "Orvis: An American Fly Fishing Institution." Fly Fishing Trade, August 2006, 40-47.
References
- Cambridge University Press. (2009). Cambridge academic content dictionary (Paul Heacock, editor). New York: Cambridge University Press. 13-ISBN 978-0-521-87143-3/10-ISBN 0-521-87143-3;13-ISBN 978-0-521-69196-3/10-ISBN 0-521-69196-6; OCLC 183392531
- __________. (1915). Journal of education, Vol. 37. Oxford: Oxford University Press. OCLC 1713625
- Palta, Namrata. (2007). Spoken English: a Detailed and Simplified Course for Learning Spoken English. New Delhi: Lotus Press. 10-ISBN 8-183-82052-2/13-ISBN 978-8-183-82052-3; OCLC 297508439
External links
- Oxford Advanced Learners Dictionary (OALD), Word of the Month: Elephant in the room
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
