Difference between revisions of "Elephant in the room"
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Revision as of 00:36, October 28, 2008
The phrase elephant in the living room (or elephant in the room) is a colloquial way of referring to a large, obvious problem which, for some reason, nobody is willing to deal with or acknowledge directly. It often becomes a taboo subject, and anyone trying to address the matter is hushed up, shunned, belittled or even punished.
The elephant in the living room is viewed as a negative response where open and truthful dialogue is preferred.