the elephant in the room

意味

an obvious problem that everyone avoids discussing

皆が口にするのを避ける明らかな問題.

例文

1. 1Nobody mentioned the missing savings, but they were the elephant in the room.
2. 2At dinner, our unfinished argument was still the elephant in the room.
3. 3The budget shortfall remained the elephant in the room; every speaker carefully avoided mentioning it.
4. 4Everyone knew the roof leaked, yet at the residents' meeting it was the elephant in the room.
5. 5Their cancelled wedding was the elephant in the room as the family chatted awkwardly about the weather.

文法

the elephant in the room で一つの名詞句として使う。問題を持ち出すときは An elephant in the room も使う。

似た意味の表現