In 1882 P.T. Barnum, the owner of the Greatest Show on Earth, purchased an elephant from the London Zoo. But not just any elephant… a really, really big elephant standing 14 feet tall. The zookeepers gave Jumbo his name, likely a twist on the Swahili word of jambo (hello) or jumbe (chief).
As his fame spread around the world, the phrase jumbo-sized popped up to refer to anything big. Of course, now it’s simply said to be jumbo.
So next time you have to go pee six times during a movie due to your ridiculously large soda-pop, think of Jumbo and the smiles he brought to children all over. Also, wash your hands.
Bonus Fact: In Disney’s movie Dumbo, the leading elephant’s true name was Jumbo Jr., having been given the insulting nickname of Dumbo by the other animals due to his large ears.
