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The phrase ''seeing the elephant'' is an Americanism which refers to gaining experience of the world at a significant cost. It was a popular expression of the mid to late 19th century throughout the United States in the Mexican-American War, the Texan Santa Fe Expedition, the American Civil War, the 1849 Gold Rush, and the Westward Expansion Trails (Oregon Trail, California Trail, Mormon Trail).〔Mitford M Mathews, ed., ''A Dictionary of Americanisms: On Historical Principles '' (University of Chicago Press, 1951), 550.〕 During the 20th century the phrase faded from popularity but when historians started taking note of its recurrence in historical newspapers, journals, and literature they often summed the elephant up too quickly and categorized it as a negative experience. Desolation and sadness may have been one trait of "seeing the elephant", but it was certainly not the only or even the most prevalent. More often, American pioneers of the Overland Trails talk of the excitement and anticipation of heading west to see the elephant. Elephant "sightings" often begin with excitement and high ideals only to be disappointing or disenchanting. The high excitement followed by the low frustrations are what epitomize the elephant as something most wanted to "see" but few would have wanted to "see" again. == Origins == As early as 1590, the English used the idiom to “see the lions.”〔Dave Wilson, “(Elephant, To See The. )” Wordorigins.org. June 13, 2006. Accessed May 6, 2010.〕 This referred to the Tower of London which is thought to have been one of the world’s oldest zoos. The monarchs kept a menagerie of animals inside the tower including several types of cats. Travelers and visitors were hopeful for a glimpse of the animals, especially the lion which was the living emblem of the king.〔James Owen, "(Medieval Lion Skulls Reveal Secrets of Tower of London 'Zoo' )", ''National Geographic News'', Nov 3, 2005.〕 In comparison to the American elephant seen by Easterners or city people in the country, the English lion was seen by country peasants in the city. Americans first saw the elephant in the book ''Georgia Scenes'' in 1835 by regionalist author Augustus Baldwin Longstreet. “That's sufficient, as Tom Haynes said when he saw the Elephant.”〔 Longstreet’s book about rural Georgia (during a Gold Rush) had little to do with the more western venues for later "elephant sightings". A Washington D.C. newspaper article in 1848 gives one possible origin for seeing the elephant. This article, entitled “Seeing the Elephant,” says the phrase came from a Philadelphia theatre a few years earlier. A play their theater was putting on was in need of an elephant but the few circulating circus elephants were not available and so they made a makeshift elephant and put a man inside to control the few movements the animal had to make. The audiences loved it and were extremely responsive. Unfortunately, the man they put inside was fond of his spirits, and one night he became so drunk he walked the elephant off the stage and into the music pit. The audience left laughing and joking, “Have you seen the elephant?”〔“Seeing the Elephant," ''Daily National Intelligencer'' (Washington, DC) April 06, 1848, Issue 10,956, col D〕 One of the most common origins many online sources cite is that of the optimistic farmer:〔Anthony Kirk, "Seeing the Elephant," ''California History'' 77 (Winter 1998/1999), 176.〕〔http://www.goldrush.com/~joann/elephant.htm〕 (is an ) old tale of the farmer who upon hearing that a circus had come to town excitedly set out in his wagon. Along the way he met up with the circus parade, led by an elephant, which so terrified his horses that they bolted and pitched the wagon over on its side, scattering vegetables and eggs across the roadway. “I don't give a hang,” exulted the jubilant farmer as he picked himself up. “I have seen the elephant” The most likely origin of the mythical elephant is the menagerie or circus. For most Americans, the only chance to see exotic animals was by these types of exhibitions. Circuses were quickly growing in popularity during the early nineteenth century. Several were performing throughout the Northeast, specifically Philadelphia and New York. Often, the big draw for these shows were exotic animals like an elephant. When the circus was traveling, it often drew large crowds along the roadside. These wayside processions were the beginning of the circus parade. For those that could not afford a ticket to the show, this procession was their only chance at glimpsing exotic animals. In 1808, Hachaliah Bailey owned "Old Bet", an elephant that he bought from a menagerie for one thousand dollars; and while this was a steep price tag, the hefty returns on his purchase allowed him to later invest in more animals.〔Esse Forrester O’Brien, ''Circus: Cinders to Sawdust'' (San Antonio, TX: The Naylor Company, 1959), 6.〕 Old Bet was said to be the first elephant brought to America; she traveled extensively with Bailey charging 25 cents for the curious to "see" the elephant. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Seeing the elephant」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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