Elephant in the Room
Meaning
An obvious truth or significant problem that everyone is aware of but deliberately avoids discussing.
Origin
The striking image of an immense elephant crammed into a domestic setting, too large to miss yet pointedly ignored, solidified into the English idiom we know today during the early 20th century. While similar concepts appeared earlier—Ivan Turgenev's 1864 novella "The Crocodile" included a character who remarks on "not noticing an elephant in a menagerie"—the precise phrase gained widespread traction in British and American political discourse. It was embraced by commentators and cartoonists who found it a perfect metaphor for highlighting glaring, undeniable societal or political problems that everyone could see, but which remained stubbornly unspoken or unaddressed by those in power.
Examples
- Everyone at the family dinner knew Uncle Bob's new venture was failing, but no one dared mention the elephant in the room.
- During the budget meeting, the massive deficit was the undeniable elephant in the room that everyone tried to avoid addressing.