the elephant in the room

Значение

an obvious problem that everyone avoids discussing

Очевидная проблема, которую все избегают обсуждать.

Примеры

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.

Грамматика

the elephant in the room употребляется как единая именная группа. Вводя новую проблему, можно сказать an elephant in the room.

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