History Main / GoingToSeeTheElephant

* Until 1896 there was an building literally shaped like an elephant on Coney Island which housed a brothel. The phrase "going to see elephant" was (and is still used in some pockets of New York City) used as a euphemism for visiting a prostitute.

* The ''[=~National Lampoon's Vacation~=]'' series of films starring Chevy Chase and Beverly D'Angelo are a comedic example of this trope.

* Until 1896 there was an building literally shaped like an elephant on Coney Island which housed a brothel. The phrase "going to see elephant" was (and is still used in some pockets of New York City) used as a euphemism for visiting a prostitute.

The name of the trope is from a 19th-century expression that meant "to take a trip to see or do something exotic." In the American Civil War era, it was sometimes used to refer to going to war. Sometimes used as a {{MacGuffin}}, making the character go in order to drive the plot, but not always, as it lacks the interchangeability of a true [=MacGuffin=]. Often, ItsTheJourneyThatCounts.

* In ''Disney/{{Tangled}}'', the entire reason Rapunzel leaves her tower is to go see the lights that appear on her birthday every year.

* In {{Tangled}}, the entire reason Rapunzel leaves her tower is to go see the lights that appear on her birthday every year.

* The Grand Line is presented as a sort of elephant in early ''OnePiece''.

[[AC:{{Theater}}]]
* In the {{musical}} ''Anyone Can Whistle'', a large number of pilgrims appear once the "miracle" set up by the mayoress and her chronies gets going, and then at the end, they all (and a number of people from the town) leave when they hear that there's another miracle in the next town over.

* ''{{Yotsubato}}'' does this several times. The includes a trip to the zoo, where the title character is most excited to see the elephant.

* There is a short story in the Honorverse called ''let's go to Prague'' that starts out as being about a vacation. Of course it gets complicated from there.

The name of the trope is from a 19th-century expression that meant "to take a trip to see or do something exotic." In the American Civil War era, it was sometimes used to refer to going to war. Sometimes used as a {{MacGuffin}}, making the character go in order to drive the plot, but not always, as it lacks the interchangeability of a true [=MacGuffin=]. A subtrope of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor. Often, ItsTheJourneyThatCounts.

** Interestingly, Maggie Antrobus wants to see a whale before she dies in the same author's ''TheSkinOfOurTeeth''. Makes one wonder if Wilder had a cetacean fetish. [[hottip:*: No, the Barnum Museum really ''was'' a tremendously popular place in the mid- to late-1800s, and the whale was a notable exhibit.]]

* ''SamuraiChamploo'' has the girl Fuu hire two Samurai, Mugen and Jin, to help her find the Sun Flower samurai. This Samurai in question does not show up until the last episode and show regularly admits that he is nothing more than Mac Gruffin; wiht both Mugen and Jin regularly pestering Fuu about knowing nothing about the Sun Flower Samurai.

* In TamoraPierce's ''[[TortallUniverse Protector of the Small]]'' series, "going to see the kraken" is used as a [[HoldYourHippogriffs substitute idiom]].

* The Grand Line is presented as a sort of elephant in early ''One Piece''.

* The Grand Line is presented as a sort of elephant in early [[One Piece]].

The name of the trope is from a 19th-century expression that meant "to take a trip to see or do something exotic". In the American Civil War era, it was sometimes used to refer to going to war. Sometimes used as a {{MacGuffin}}, making the character go in order to drive the plot, but not always, as it lacks the interchangeability of a true [=MacGuffin=]. A subtrope of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor. Often, ItsTheJourneyThatCounts.

* ''Lost in America'' is about a couple who quit their jobs in order to "discover America". They do so by traveling around in a Winnebago on the back roads, looking for new things to see and do.

* In his personal memoirs, Civil War veteran Elisha Hunt Rhodes wrote that, after his experiences in the Civil War, he was no longer interested in aggression, belligerence, or anger, and would no longer own or use a firearm, because "I have already seen that elephant." He'd gone off to war thinking it would be [[WarIsGlorious a grand adventure]], and it turned out to be just what war is: a horrible, terrifying, life-changing experience.
* Many of gold seekers who went west during the Gold Rush hoping to hit pay dirt or the young trailhands going from Texas to the wild Kansas cowtowns described their journeys as "going to see the elephant".

* WeirdAlYankovic's "The Biggest Ball of Twine in Minnesota" is a parody of similar GoingToSeeTheElephant songs [[WeirdAlEffect This Troper can't remember]].

Somewhere, not too far from the hero's hometown, there is something new and exotic to go see or do. The hero is fascinated with the idea of checking out this new thing, and he and his friends set out on a journey to do just that. Their journey drives the rest of the plot. This differs from characters on a quest, because there's no overarching need for them to take the trip, other than "let's go take the trip". They're tourists, not heroes out to destroy [[ LordOfTheRings The One Ring]]. In addition, the actual object at the end of the journey is utterly unimportant, other than as a prod for the character to take the journey in the first place.

Somewhere, not too far from the hero's hometown, there is something new and exotic to go see or do. The hero is fascinated with the idea of checking out this new thing, and he and his friends set out on a journey to do just that. Their journey drives the rest of the plot. This differs from characters on a quest, because there's no overarching need for them to take the trip, other than "let's go take the trip". They're tourists, not heroes out to destroy the One Ring. In addition, the actual object at the end of the journey is uttterly unimportant, other than as a prod for the character to take the journey in the first place.

The name of the trope is from a 19th-century expression that meant "to take a trip to see or do something exotic". In the American Civil War era, it was sometimes used to refer to going to war. Sometimes used as a {{MacGuffin}}, but not always, as it lacks the interchangeability of a true [=MacGuffin=]. A subtrope of BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor. Often, ItsTheJourneyThatCounts.

* Until 1896 there was an building literally shaped like an elephant which housed a brothel. The phrase "going to see elephant" was (and is still used in some pockets of New York City) used as a euphemism for visiting a prostitute.

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