🐘 Elephant in the Room: The Inescapable Obvious 🛋️
elephant in the room, an - An extremely obvious circumstance that can hardly be overlooked.
Jo Bannister used it in Liars All (2009):
“She hadn’t told Paddy how serious Jonathan’s condition was… But it was like an elephant in the drawing room; Paddy didn’t need pointing it out to know it was there.”
Lindsay Coates’s column about Haiti’s lack of land rights slowing recovery from the devastating earthquake was headlined:
“Land Tenure: Haiti’s Elephant in the Room” (Huffington Post, July 21, 2010).
Synonyms and Related Terms
- Glaring omission
- Overshadowing truth
- The big kahuna
- The 800-pound gorilla in the room
- White elephant
Antonyms
- Hidden gem
- Under the radar
- Invisible problem
Humor-Filled Quote 🌈
“Dealing with the ’elephant in the room’ makes it so we can finally talk about the ant in the corner!” – Tommy Tomfoolery
Similar Proverbs 🏛️
- “What can’t be cured must be endured.” – Insight into facing unavoidable truths.
- “The truth will out.” - Commonly from Shakespeare, emphasizing that significant issues will eventually surface.
References in Literature 🎩
- “War and Peace” by Leo Tolstoy - Massive events and obvious realities dominating the lives of individuals.
- “1984” by George Orwell - The overwhelming and obvious power of Big Brother cannot be ignored.
Popular Songs 🎶
- “Eye of the Tiger” by Survivor - Wrestle with obvious reality and come out victorious!
- “Under Pressure” by Queen and David Bowie - Sometimes, obvious yet unmentioned pressures can crush you.
Inspiring Farewell 🍂
Life often places elephants in our personal rooms, but remember: to live fully is to face them fearlessly. Mind the big grey mammal in the space, and may you stampede towards truth and clarity!
Always keep your curiosity alive,
Eloise Imaginario
