the elephant in the room

뜻

an obvious problem that everyone avoids discussing

모두가 알면서도 말하기를 피하는 뻔한 문제.

예문

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.

문법

the elephant in the room을 하나의 명사구로 쓴다. 문제를 처음 꺼낼 때는 An elephant in the room도 쓴다.

비슷한 뜻