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I Have Seen the Elephant
In the middle of the 19th century, the popular phrase, "I have seen the elephant," referred to overcoming the adversities and hardships in one's life. There was a fable that revolved around a farmer who heard that the circus was coming to town. He had never seen an elephant and headed to town with his produce to see the elephant. He encountered the elephant on the road and unfortunately, the farmer's horse had never seen an elephant either. The horse spooked, upset the cart and ran off, which destroyed the farmer's produce. Even so, the farmer declared, "I don't care, for I have seen the elephant."
Most immigrants rushing to California by land or by sea had "seen the elephant from the tip of his trunk to the end of his tail" by the time they arrived in California. For any who hadn't, two or three weeks in California were certain to bring on the vision.
This selection is from "Seeing the Elephant" in the Collection of California Historical Society which may be found at http://www.museumca.org/goldrush/fever11.html
The phrase "I've seen the elephant" is an American idiom meaning that someone has gained worldly experience or learned a hard lesson through a difficult or challenging situation. It is often used to convey that the person has been through a lot and is now more experienced or knowledgeable.
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