“TO SEE THE ELEPHANT”: MEANINGS OF THE PROVERBIAL PHRASE, AND ITS AGE

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Abstract

Lexicographers and paremiologists have been struggling with the American proverbial phrase “to see the elephant” since the 1840s, attempting to establish its history and elucidate its meanings. Often those attempts have resulted in erroneous information and fanciful conclusions. At least two instances of the expression can be identified from early-modern England.

Article Details

Keywords:
American proverbs, English proverbs, historical lexicography, historical paremiology, California gold rush, American Civil War
How to Cite
Doyle, C. C. “‘TO SEE THE ELEPHANT’: MEANINGS OF THE PROVERBIAL PHRASE, AND ITS AGE”. Proverbium - Yearbook, vol. 39, no. 1, July 2022, pp. 58-85, doi:10.29162/pv.39.1.59.

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