elephant trap
English
WOTD – 5 May 2022
Etymology
From elephant + trap, alluding to the fact that a trap for an elephant needs to be quite large, and so ought to be easily seen.
Pronunciation
- (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈɛlɪf(ə)nt ˌtɹæp/
- (General American) IPA(key): /ˈɛləfənt ˌtɹæp/
- Hyphenation: ele‧phant trap
Noun
elephant trap (plural elephant traps) (figuratively)
- A trap which can easily be avoided by a competent person, and thus proves the incompetence of anybody trapped by it.
- To show he doesn’t do his fair share of work, I’ve set him an elephant trap. If he falls in he’ll look like a clown.
- (chess) Often in the form Elephant Trap: a faulty attempt by White to win a pawn in a popular variation of the Queen's Gambit Declined, which is generally only effective against inexperienced players.
Translations
trap easily avoided by a competent person
(chess) faulty attempt by White to win a pawn
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Notes
- From the collection of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris, France.
Further reading
- Queen's Gambit Declined, Elephant Trap on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
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