the elephant in the room

elephant in the room

An obvious truth or fact, especially one regarded as embarrassing or undesirable, that is being intentionally ignored or left unaddressed. We all sat sipping our tea quietly, no one wanting to bring up the elephant in the room about Joel's expulsion from college. The incident has remained something of an elephant in the room within our family.
See also: elephant, room
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

the ˌelephant in the ˈroom

a serious problem that everyone is aware of but which they ignore and choose not to mention: The growing budget deficit is the elephant in the room that nobody wants to talk about.
See also: elephant, room
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • elephant
  • elephant in the corner
  • elephant in the room
  • elephant in the room, an
  • the elephant in the corner
  • reconcile (oneself) to (something)
  • reconcile oneself to
  • land up in (something)
  • get out of jail free card
  • Let every man skin his own skunk.
References in periodicals archive
"It is the elephant in the room," said Garry Merkel, chief executive officer of the Tahltan Nation Development Corp.
Is there an elephant room? B.C.'s First Nations leaders think there is
It was thought Top Gear borrowed the model, since nicknamed Jeremy, to appear as a visual gag about the elephant in the room - the absence of Clarkson.
The elephant in the room... SUNDAY SHORTS
His advisers also warned that Iraq was "the elephant in the room".
TONY Blair's appearance on Blue Peter
It's time to stand up and face the elephant in the room.
The elephant in the room
One bishop called the sexuality issue "the elephant in the room," because it was never on the agenda and was discussed only informally in a hotel hospitality suite.
Sexuality issue very personal for one bishop: Robinson is 'painfully aware' of situation
A composer once asked me, 'How do you deal with the elephant in the room?' For the composer, it's Wagner.
Doug Elkins: plunderer or new-age choreographer?