Modul 5: Idiom 47: Elephant in the room

Elephant in the room

Hi. Let’s take a look at the idiom, “elephant in the room”. When you tell someone that there is an ”elephant in the room”, you mean that there is an obvious major problem or issue that people avoid discussing (= they don’t want to talk about it) or acknowledging (= they don’t want to  accept that it’s true).

Similarly, when you talk about “the elephant in the room” you are talking about a big, obvious thing that is uncomfortable to talk about, so no one really wants to talk about.

For example, a parent may have a serious problem with the behaviour of their child, but if they never bring up the issue, then the child’s misbehaviour has become “an/the elephant in the room”: everyone can see it, but no one wants to say it.

But what is the origin of this idiom?

It originates from a poem by Ivan Krylov (1769–1844) who wrote the fable “The Inquisitive Man”. ‘Inquisitive’ means asking too many questions; very curious. The story talks about a man who goes to a museum and notices all kinds of small things whilst not noticing an elephant.

Later, in 1935, in a Broadway musical, Jumbo, there’s an interesting example of ignoring the elephant in the room. In the scene, Jimmy Durante is stopped by a police officer while leading a live elephant across the stage. “What are you doing with that elephant?” the policeman asks. “What elephant?” responds Jimmy Durante.

In the 1950s, the elephant in the room came to mean what it means today: something enormous that people choose to ignore because it is uncomfortable to deal with.

Let’s take a look at our illustration.

This is a museum. People are looking everywhere but they don’t pay attention to the huge elephant in the middle of the room. Of course, it is obvious for all of them that there is an elephant which doesn’t belong there, but it is more comfortable for them not to deal with it. Just like people in real life who don‘t want to look at certain uncomfortable problems/situations – “the elephant in the room”.

Here are some examples before we go to the concept questions…

“Michael, it’s time to address the elephant in the room. You have been using my laptop without my permission.”

Johnny is 35 and still lives at home. This is an elephant in the room during all their family meetings. (Everyone feels it’s not right, but no one brings it up.)

Talking about the importance of using green energy sources whilst using fossil fuel power plants is an elephant in the room for the politicians.

When the estate agent showed us around the house, he conveniently ignored the huge wine stain on the carpet – the elephant in the room.

“The elephant in the room this week is the sharp rise in gas prices.” (= Politicians prefer to ignore the issue.)

Great.

Let’s look at some situations and check your understanding:

1. Jackson walks into a meeting with a black eye. No one says anything about it. Is there an elephant in the room? Yes. People are uncomfortable to mention the obvious: that Jackson has a black eye.
2. Our manager loves animals, but she also loves to wear fur coats. Is this an elephant in the room? Yes. No one dares to mention her hypocrisy (= showing an image but acting differently).
3. Kenny became a full-time choir member at his local church. He is a good singer. Every week he goes to choir practice to sing. Is there an elephant in the room when Kenny sings? No. His singing is good. There is nothing uncomfortable about his singing.
4. There is a  manager who drinks a lot during work with his colleagues. He shows up to a board meeting and complains that the biggest problem in the company is people leaving their desks messy. Is he missing the elephant in the room? Yes. There is clearly a bigger problem at work than people’s “messy desks”; there is a major drinking problem going on in the office and it is not being talked about.
5. Fred’s school needs him to wear a school uniform on school day. Fred wears his uniform that looks just like his classmates’ uniforms. When he is in class on a school day is Fred’s uniform an elephant in the room? No. His uniform is just normal, and there is nothing unpleasant about it that people would avoid discussing.