baby elephant in the room

An obvious truth or fact, especially one regarded as embarrassing or undesirable, that is being intentionally ignored or left unaddressed. The phrase is usually used when the issue at hand is relatively insignificant and does not constitute a full-grown "elephant in the room." It's not a huge deal, but it’s still the baby elephant in the room, so let's talk about it—why did you lie about going to the mall? Did you not want me to come with you? A: "How are things with Tom?" B: "The argument we had at the party has been a bit of a baby elephant in the room, but overall we're fine." A: "Are you still going to go even though your ex will be there?" B: "Yeah. Sure, it'll be somewhat awkward, but it's just a baby elephant in the room at this point."