| fig. |
not to have noticed the elephant (not to have noticed the most important or significant thing. In Ivan Krylov's fable "The Curious Man", a visitor to a museum of natural history closely examines its small exhibits, the insects, but fails to have noticed the elephant. "And did you see the elephant? What a sight it must have been! I imagine you thought that you had met a mountain." "Was an elephant really there?" "Yes." "Well, brother, I confess: I did not see the elephant." Translated by Stephen Pimenoff. george serebryakov) |
