An English idiom I find really interesting is 'the elephant in the room'. I'm a twenty-two-year-old economics student in Hanoi, and I'm preparing to study for a master's degree in Australia.
I first came across it in a podcast about business that I listen to on my way to university. The host said that rising costs were 'the elephant in the room' at a company meeting, and I was confused for a moment, because I imagined an actual elephant. I paused it, looked it up and then started noticing it everywhere.
It describes an obvious problem that everyone knows about but nobody wants to mention, usually because it's embarrassing or uncomfortable. For example, if a family is planning a holiday but nobody talks about the fact that they can't afford it, that's the elephant in the room. People use it in meetings, news articles and even in everyday conversations.
I find it interesting for a few reasons. First, the image is so vivid. You can picture a huge animal standing in the middle of a small room while everyone politely pretends not to see it, and that captures the awkwardness perfectly. Second, it describes a situation that's very common in Vietnamese culture too. We often avoid saying difficult things directly to keep harmony, especially with older people, so I immediately understood the feeling, even though we don't have exactly the same expression. Finally, it's useful. I've started using it in group projects when we're avoiding a problem, like a member who isn't doing their share. It's a light, slightly humorous way to raise a serious issue without sounding rude.