Giant Primates

Factual Questions
1

No, not a Bigfoot thread.

This is a two-part question:

  1. Does anyone know where the term “800-pound gorilla” came from?

  2. Have you always heard it being said as “800-pound”, or has time increased the weight, so to speak. A couple people at the office say “400-pound gorilla”, but most of us haven’t heard it any other way besides the 800.

I searched several etymology sites to no avail, and searched the SDMB message boards as well.

2

I always heard 900-pound. I must be more highly evolved.

3

I just want to take this opportunity to say the word “monkey.”

Monkey, monkey, monkey.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled thread.

4

Well…in a highly unscientific poll…when one types in the following phrases at Google:

[list=1]
“800 pound gorilla” - 8,910 hits

“900 pound gorilla” - 1,170

“500 pound gorilla” - 1,170

“600 pound gorilla” - 783

“400 pound gorilla” - 394

“300 pound gorilla” - 328

“1,000 pound gorilla” - 217

“200 pound gorilla” - 91

“100 pound gorilla” - 53

“700 pound gorilla” - 42
[/list=1]

So, what does this mean? I don’t know.

C’mon people…any phraseologists out there?