What is the origin of the phrase “800 pound gorilla”?
There is a classic riddle which asks where an 800 pound gorilla sits. The answer is anywhere it wants to. This is the philosophy behind the expression “800 pound gorilla”, which refers to corporations, organizations or even individuals so powerful and dominant that they literally control or at least influence all other competitors in their fields. The search engine Google™ could be considered an 800 pound gorilla in the web search community, for example, because it clearly dominates the field and competitors such as Alta Vista™ and Yahoo!® often find themselves reacting to any changes Google™ chooses to implement. When an 800 pound gorilla moves, it’s often best to move with it or else give it plenty of room. There are other companies and organizations which could be considered 800 pound gorillas. The computer software giant Microsoft® is often touted as the 800 pound gorilla of the industry. Whenever Microsoft® decides to release a major upgrade to its proprietary Microsoft® Windows®
