American Slang & Idioms - THE 800-POUND GORILLA
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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.
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Very useful thank you
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@MudDauper I wasn't aware Google was exclusive to the US.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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It means 'I can't believe this!' Or 'It's so stupid.'
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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.
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I thought it meant a gorilla that weighs 800 pounds.
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I'd use "monolithic" instead of 800pound something.
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Wow, I'm American and this is the first time I've heard of this phrase.
UofLCardFan08 3 years ago 5
Yeah this phrase isn't common in america.. somebody made a mistake here.
Proletariat12 2 years ago 4