The entire elephant doesn't need to be inside of the refrigerator. It's all about perception. Allow me to demonstrate: Step 1) Cut a hole in the back of the refrigerator. Step 2) Put an elephant behind the refrigerator and have it put its trunk inside the hole. Step 3) Wait until my wife opens the refrigerator and screams "There's an elephant in the refrigerator!" While it's true that the whole elephant is not in the refrigerator, I also learned a little bit in the last 25 years of marriage. I know that if my wife says that there's an elephant in the refrigerator, that it's useless and counterproductive to contradict her on the details. My motto: "Shut up and live long." ;-)

Is this a living animal, a chocolate figurine, or a stuffed toy?

I would put my elephant in a giant meat locker--it's technically still a refrigerator.

Why does everyone assume that the elephant is too large to go into the refrigerator? It could be a really small elephant, or a really large refrigerator. I have head this series before... bcm mentioned the first two questions in the series. Then it continues with, The Lion (King of the Jungle) calls all the animals to a meeting. All of the animals show up except one, which animal doesn't show? Well, the elephant, because he is in the refrigerator. Now, on your way back from this meeting you need to cross a river. This river is home to the deadliest man eating crocodiles in the world. You have no boat, there is no bridge... How do you get across? You simply swim across. All the animals except the elephant, to include the crocodiles, are at the meeting with the lion...

bcm, closing the door would be completely unnecessary. :) open the door, insert giraffe. done.

I would put its trunk in, nothing is said that the WHOLE elephant must be in the refrigerator

I tell this joke to my 6 year old niece all the time. The answer is: "Open the door and push really hard" Don't overthink it!

The same way you eat an elephant... one piece at a time

Build a refrigerator big enough to fit the elephant.

Shrink wrap it, of course. or freeze dry it. Either one will work. Think outside the bun, people. Everyone is too serious with these questions. The interviewer is testing your sense of humor, dummies.

It's all about problem solving and creativity. 1) Open door 2) Have elephant backup to the door 3) Show elephant a mouse 4) Elephant jumps backwards into refrigerator 5) Shut door

I'd use a really big blender: http://willitblend.com/

It's for an office assistant job. If you want to get rid of the elephant you do like any other food you want gone, leave it out by the office coffee machine with a sign "free, take a piece". Then, assuming anything is left you pack it up neatly in a zip loc bag and put it in the fridge.

Outsource it to BRICK countries.

Not sure how I would get an elephant into a regular sized refrigerator, but I would definitely provide a good response by sounding out my thought process to the person interviewing me, then I'd ask them how large this refrigerator is, and I'd ask them if there were any concerns of the elephant getting too cold inside as I wouldn't want to promote anything harmful or detrimental to this animal that would look bad on the company I work for. How's that!!??

Assuming the elephant is alive and must remain alive (until it freezes to death in the refrigerator), I like the idea of putting it into a giant meat locker. If it is not against the rules to kill the elephant, then all you have to do is cut it up into small pieces.

Robert is correct. there is a follow up question. How do you get a giraffe into a refrigerator? 1. Open door 2. Move elephant 3. Put giraffe in fridge 4. Shut door

Questions like this are symbolic of things that actually do happen in work environments. When asked how to put something very large into something that is typically much smaller than that object a lot of discussion can go in to how to accomplish it when in the end it can't be done. People do that in business all the time and end up wasting a lot of time. When confronted with a task like this it is better to reassess the goal before embarking on a path of impossibility. The question isn't 'find a way to put an elephant into a refrigerator', it's 'how would you do it'. A perfect example is the person who said cut it up into smaller pieces -- so you cut the elephant into a bunch of smaller pieces and then you still have the same amount of mass, just cut into smaller pieces. So you have wasted the time in cutting to then be faced with the same dilemma, which is how to get it in the fridge.

Sorry BRIC

I would build an elephant-sized fridge.

Easy-peanuts in a Commercial fridge room or fridge truck...

Open the door, remove the giraffe, and then place the elephant inside.

Cremate the elephant. The ashes would even fit in a dormitory fridge.

The same as you do when you spell "way" with an "F" in it.........

I would explain the functions and features of the fridge and how the would add to the quality of the elephant 's life, providing to him and his family. I'd offer to pick up the sales tax if he made the purchase today

You take a toy elephant and put it in the fridge. The interviewer did not specify what type of elephant.

The correct answer to this riddle/joke is... Interviewer: "How would you put an elephant in a refrigerator?" Me: "You Take the F out of way" Interviewer: ".....(pauses to think about it.) There's no F in way" Me: "Exactly!" explanation- There's No F in way= There's No F-in' way= There's no F-ing way= There's No F#*% way.

Just cut the HEEL from elephant.... ELEPHANT ---> PANT... Remove E,L,E,H from ELEPHANT...... ;-)

Open a refrigerator door, put it in and close the door

1. Open door. 2. Insert elephant 3. Close door

Have something they like in there ?

The elephant shouldn’t be changed when you can change the size of the elephant. Sometimes it’s not that you are an outcast, but that your place hasn’t found you.

I said to fit the elephant, you could starve it My husband said I probably didn't get the job because of that. Oh well.

I had no idea it was an actual interview question. I thought we were all having fun. Now I'm down.

"Why do I want to put an elephant in the refrigerator? "

'How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator?' By putting it in there as soon as it is born or while it's still in infancy... I think the elephant is symbolic of potentially troublesome issue in business. You have to 'freeze' them or tackle them before they grow too big or else you'll just end up pushing very hard without results.

No problem. My refrigerator was designed to accommodate elephants. I also have an appropriately equipped and sized forklift since there's no way I would freeze the animal to death.

Ask politely.

Its a pity all you people don't have jobs, because then you wouldn't have to be answering silly questions.

Um - anybody ask how big the elephant is??? Could be a Happy Meal toy for all we know!

Veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery slowly.

I make a dish named elephant legs(chicken legs)..elephant juice(mango).. and place it in the fridge.. does anyone described ELEPHANT being an animal only!

I will tell some XYZ company to make a large refrigerator to accommodate a ELEPHANT so that it can get into GUINNESS WORLD RECORD.

just build the refrigerator big enough

Dessicate the elephant first. Without water, the carcass will fit without requiring a frozen food factory or reinterpreting the question allowing the elephant to merely stick his nose (trunk) in.

How would you get an elephant into a refrigerator? - very carefully - however the elephant wants

Me: Open the refrigerator and ask a few interns to push it in.

I am surprised nobody said this: "BY REMOVING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS". Fridge is SMALL enough to hold only one animal.

Tell me if you've heard this one before ... 1. Get a pair of binoculars 2. Get a pair of tweezers 3. look through the binoculars backwards 4. Use tweezers to pick up elephants and place in refrigerator

Guys, you are all missing the point ... the question is relative .... everyone is assuming the elephant is actually a "real" animal ... my grandkids play with plastic zoo amimals all of the time (yes Virginia, your plastic elephant is real) .... the question can't be answered, you don't have enough information about the elephant ... so, before something can me moved from one location to another (e.g. into the 'fridge), you need specifics about that something

Desiccate the beast... Where do we get the elephant from? If it is real why would the owner be prepared to let me put it in a fridge? Is it real or just a kid's toy? Do I take the fridge to the elephant or the Elephant to the fridge? Adult or baby elephant? (if we just chop it up it's going to be the same volume so unlikely to fit in a standard refridgerator...If we assume it's a real elephant we could cremate it and put the ashes in a standard refrigerator. But no-one said it needed to be a real elephant - take a toy elephant and put that in a fridge.

I would ask him nicely..to get into the refrigerator.

It depends on the size of the elephant (and if it's alive), and the size of the fridge.

Seems to call for some fresh Jello in the fridge.

Open the door of the refrigerator and ask the elephant to get in :P 'Keeping it Simple' technology !

Place some peanuts inside.

I would ask why does the elephant need to be in the refrigerator. Shows that you just don't following orders without question. The interviewers answer can tell you a lot. If the elephant is a cake then it is not going to just walk in.

there is a considerable size difference ... answer was open the door and tell it to go in..