“see the elephant”?

C

Carbon_15

New member
I have been hearing this phrase for years, and have long since figured out from context that it means to be involved in a deadly force situation. But I'm still a little confused as to its actual meaning and origin. Can anyone shead any light on this. I kinda have this thing for understanding the origonal conotation and origin of comon phrases...some of the phrases we use on a daily basis without even thinking about have some pretty strage origonal meanings.
 
The source is apocryphal, but it sounds like something Hemingway would have said on one of his African safaris.

Meaning: When you see the elephant charging at you (you'd better be looking down the barrel).
 
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It was in common use during the Civil War, so it predates Hemingway. I've always heard the Circus explanation, but you never know with these things.
 
To see the elephant comes from around the time of the Civil War and is based on the fact that the Bailey Circus used to set up south of Washington DC in an area that is now called Bailleys Crossroads.

The troops that were stationed around Washington would go to the circus where many of them saw an elephant for the first time. (Farms don't have many elephants). Some of the troops also went to war where they came to call battle as "going to see the elephant".

The term was common in the Army but I don't know if it is still in use.
 
Red Badge of Courage

I believe this term was used in both the book and the movie 'The Red Badge of Courage' which triggered it's one again common usage.
 
On Killing

IIRC, in Grossman's book, On Killing, he mentioned that during the Civil War "seeing the elephant" was used to describe experiencing combat for the first time.
 
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