An elephant never forgets.
An elephant never forgets.
Meaning in plain English
The saying gives an elephant a memory that never fails. It uses an animal image to praise exceptionally strong recollection.
Example
Someone appreciates a colleague’s recollection and checks the record before relying on an important detail.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Never makes the praise absolute. A careful application can describe someone remembering an occasion without asserting infallibility or an animal-memory fact. A recalled detail still deserves checking when accuracy matters, however confident its source appears.
When to use it
Use it to explain exaggerated praise of memory.
Keep in mind
No universal elephant-memory claim or infallibility of recollection is verified.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 258; PDF page 40
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
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