American Slang & Idioms - THE 800-POUND GORILLA

[ironxkot]

They don't explain the origin. It comes from a joke: "Where does an 800 pound gorilla sit?" Answer: "Anywhere he wants to." It implies that the gorilla is strong and powerful and therefore can do anything he wants.

As a couple of commenters post below, there is confusion between this idiom and "the elephant in the room." Even a major investment company (IIRC) has made the mistake in one of their ads that I have seen on CNN. It shows a talking gorilla trying to get a person to notice him.

[islamic22flower22ksa]

Very useful thank you

[bazackward]

Pretend you're eating dinner with your family the night your husband lost his job. If the conversation is about how the kids are doing in school or what to watch on TV, your husband losing his job is the "800 pound gorilla." The phrase is used to refer to something everybody is thinking about but no one is talking about. It has nothing to do with being "the best" or whatever this video said.

[MudDauper]

@bazackward

No, you are thinking of "the elephant in the room". When people are arguing or discussing things, but the "Don't see the Elephant in the room," then you are referring to "something everybody is thinking about but no one is talking about. "

No one sees the elephant in the room, or doesn't talk about it.

[garigarionna]

I'd use "monolithic" instead of 800pound something.

[djshah21]

this is toooo funny ! specially the end !

[chanman486]

that's the perfect mouth for mike johnson.

[Proletariat12]

Yeah this phrase isn't common in america.. somebody made a mistake here.

[MudDauper]

@Proletariat12

Yes, it is very common phrase and is used in business on a daily basis. Try typing it in Google and you will find 34,000 references alone.

[Proletariat12]

@MudDauper I wasn't aware Google was exclusive to the US.

[sbh1030]

haha that's the first time i've heard that and i'm american, it isn't very common

[MudDauper]

@sbh1030

I may be an older phrase and not part of the modern and young people's vocabulary. If you get in big corporate business, you will hear the phrase.

[AgnieszkaD1990]

thank you

[Reyneeru]

the 800-pound gorilla

[spiceawl]

Guys does anybody here know what "GIMME A BREAK"means,i've heard that thousands of times on tv,please tell me if you know

[UofLCardFan08]

'Gimme a break' is a fast way of saying 'give me a break'.

[lokiomega]

'give me a break' is hard to explain but it can mean various things. If a person makes an unreasonable demand on you, saying it means that you want them to be nicer or to be easier on you. It can also be said to express disbelief at bad news, basically in response to life itself.

If you didn't know, break in English can also mean a short period of rest.

[baigandine]

It means 'I can't believe this!' Or 'It's so stupid.'

[UofLCardFan08]

Wow, I'm American and this is the first time I've heard of this phrase.

[teleostomi]

Me too though I'm Japanese.

[112726520]

thanks a lot

[queena5477]

thank u

[Mustafoinc]

Thank you.

[mehdisl3]

Thank you for teaching