Interesting language

[angieh]

The elephant in the room

Meaning: "An important and obvious topic, which everyone present is aware of, but which isn't discussed, as such discussion is considered to be uncomfortable."

I find this particular phrase of interest because I thought it was modern "management speak" but it seems to have originated in the 1950's, as the following website explains.

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/e...-the-room.html

I hope others might post phrases they find of interest for whatever reason.

[dandysmom]

Very interesting! I do enjoy words, their sources and meanings. I thought that expression would have been older than that! Learned something,

[angieh]

There you see, I thought it was more modern!

Bet you can come up with some interesting ones Eileen? Don't they do something similar over on OFF?

[dandysmom]

We have a quaint expressions thread, but it just lists them as we think of them; no background. That's an idea for a slow day......

[Shelley123]

I went on a course once and have a distant memory of a poem written by a man whose wife had died. He kept referring to the Elephant in the room and what he was saying was that he was actualy desperate to talk about his wife but all the visitors avoided the subject so as not to upset him and talked about everything and anything but his wife.

[dandysmom]

Was it this one, Shelley?

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/by-te...t-in-the-room/

[Shelley123]

Yes thats the one Eileen, thanks.
It has stuck in my mind but of course i have lost the written words so it's nice to see it again.