Trivia Time

Which author is widely credited for giving us the idea of the elephant in the room?

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elephant in the room

American  

[el-uh-fuhnt in thuh room, room] / ˈɛl ə fənt ɪn ðə ˈrum, ˈrʊm /

idiom

1. a problem or issue that everyone is aware of but that no one wants to talk about.

   Her dad’s depression has been the elephant in the room at family gatherings.

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Etymology

Origin of elephant in the room

First recorded in 1935–40

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

elephant in the room

There’s an elephant in the room in every scene, and its lens follows the subject everywhere.

From Salon ● Jul. 24, 2026

He addressed what he called the "elephant in the room".

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

But no one could ignore the elephant in the room.

From Barron's ● May 19, 2026

Sometimes, the letter writer may be asking the wrong question about the right problem, or they could be ignoring the elephant in the room.

From MarketWatch ● May 11, 2026

I want us to have history, something longer than the small window of time we’re actually sharing, with an even longer future, but the dying elephant in the room crushes me.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera