Everybody is ignoring the white elephant in the room.
Have you ever heard that expression?
Why a white elephant?
Isn't an elephant in the room enough?
Why should it be white?
Well, it would seem to that white elephant is an attempt to add strength the idiom elephant
in the room.
But, actually, white elephant and elephant in the room are two different English idioms
that are frequently confused and combined.
Then there is the 800-pound gorilla in the room.
Certainly, he can't be ignored.
So, elephant in the room, white elephant, and 800-pound gorilla are three English idioms
with three different meanings.
But it's no surprise that they are combined and confused with one another.
In my searches, I even came across an article stating that 800-pound gorilla has started
to replace elephant in the room.
Let's go over each of them separately.
Meaning of Elephant in the Room: Also used: elephant in the corner, pink elephant in the
room, and as discussed white elephant in the room.
The elephant in the room is a topic that is sensitive, awkward, or embarrassing and that
no one wants to talk about but which is difficult to ignore; a topic that everyone is aware
of but everyone avoids discussing.
Usage of Idiom: As I explained, this idiom is often confused with the idiom white elephant
to become ‘the white elephant in the room.’
Sometimes a pink elephant is mentioned, perhaps to lend even more strength to the idiom.
However, pink elephants are sometimes the subject of their own idiom, describing the
hallucinations or imaginings of those intoxicated by heavy drinking or under the influence of
drugs.
And again, the 800-pound gorilla is often substituted for the elephant, although the
gorilla idiom actually has a different meaning when used properly.
Examples Of Use: “Everyone gathered around the coffee maker this morning and talked about
what they watched on TV this weekend, ignoring the elephant in the room, the impending sale
of the company.”
“We keep talking about man-made climate change and how to reduce emissions but the
elephant in the room is overpopulation.
How do we solve that?
“While Walmart and Target vie to be top players in the eCommerce market, the elephant
in the room has always been Amazon.
“Builders in Florida are aware of one very dangerous elephant in the room: Florida’s
karst landscape and the constant possibility of sinkholes.
Even a careful evaluation of a property is no guarantee.”
Origin of Idiom: The origin of this idiom is unknown.
It has been used since at least 1935 and has become increasingly popular, especially in
news articles.
The allusion is simple enough: An elephant inside a room is very difficult to ignore,
and so trying to act as if it isn't there is simply ignoring that which cannot be truly
ignored.
Meaning of White Elephant: A white elephant is an unwanted, useless, and troublesome possession
or item that is too expensive or too much work to maintain and which is not worth the
effort.
Usage 0f Idiom: Yes, people are confused about these two idioms.
Still, now that we know the meaning of both of these idioms, can you see how they can
be sensibly combined?
An unwanted item, as a white elephant, could also be an item no one wants to talk about,
as in the elephant in the room.
By the way, white elephant is often used in regard to worthless and problematic buildings.
Examples Of Use: “That beach house is just a white elephant that's been sitting for years.
The roof needs work and I don’t know what else.
I don’t know why you insisted we buy it.”
“I would never want my own swimming pool.
They’re just big white elephants.
And, to top it off, all the relatives would constantly want to visit so they could use
it.”
“In terms of white elephant gifts, I think giving someone a pet is a big faux pas.
Do you realize how much responsibility you’re handing someone?”
“We’ve been in the new building for two years now.
What about the white elephant in the room?
We haven’t even thought about what we’re going to do with the old property.”
Origin of Idiom: This idiom comes from an ancient custom in Thailand, which was then
Siam.
White albino elephants were considered sacred and could only be owned by the king.
It was forbidden, as well, to slaughter them or make them do any work.
If the king was unhappy with one of his subjects, he would give them a white elephant.
Such a gift, coming from the king, could not be given away!
The cost of feeding and caring for the elephant was immense and would surely ruin the subject.
These stories were known in England as early as the 1600s but began to be used idiomatically
during the 1800s.
It has been claimed that Ezra Cornell popularized the term as early as 1828 during his habitual
social gatherings.
Also associated with this idiom is a white elephant party or gift exchange, sometimes
called a Yankee swap or Dirty Santa where guests bring a useless wrapped present and
participants pick and open presents from a table.
Meaning of 800-Pound Gorilla: An 800-pound gorilla is an organization, company, or entity
that is so powerful it operates with no heed for the rules, laws or the rights of others;
a company or organization that is so large and powerful it gets whatever it wants; the
dominant force in an industry.
Eight-hundred pound gorilla has become more and more confused with the idiom elephant
in the room to become ‘the 800-pound gorilla in the room.”
Just as before, these idioms can be sensibly merged, since a powerful company or organization
can also be a subject that people do not wish to discuss.
Examples Of Use: “It’s amazing that Atari, the 800-pound gorilla of the video game industry,
is hardly heard of anymore.”
“The oil industry is the 800-pound gorilla in our government.
As long as our politicians work for oil lobbyists, nothing will ever change.”
“For any company that wants to compete in eCommerce, Amazon is the 800 lbs gorilla they
must consider.”
Origin of Idiom: This idiom most likely comes from a children’s riddle: Where does an
800-pound gorilla sit (or sleep)?
Answer: Wherever it wants to.
It has been used figuratively since at least the 1950s.
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