I Seen the Elephant

The term “seeing the elephant” was a euphemism for traveling to the West in the pioneer period. Where did that come from? The story is told of a farmer who heard a circus with an elephant was coming to town. He’d never seen an elephant, so he eagerly loaded up his wagon and headed for town. On the way he ran into the circus train; but when his mule saw the elephant, he bolted wildly, upsetting the farmer’s wagon and spilling the goods. Later, when asked if he regretted making the trip farmer replied, “Nope! ‘Cause I seen the elephant.”