<P> Elephant in the room is an English - language metaphorical idiom for an obvious problem or risk that no one wants to discuss, or a condition of groupthink that no one wants to challenge . </P> <P> It is based on the idea / thought that something as conspicuous as an elephant can appear to be overlooked in codified social interactions, and that the sociology / psychology of repression also operates on the macro scale . </P>

What does the expression the elephant in the room mean