Make a long story short

Meaning

The idiom "make a long story short" is used to summarize a lengthy or complicated story, event, or situation into a shorter and more concise version. It implies that the speaker will provide an overview of the main points instead of going into detailed explanations.

Usage

• "I have so much work to do today, but I'll make a long story short and get it all done in no time."
• "My friend had an interesting experience at her job last night, but I don't want to hear the whole story. Make a long story short, she got fired."
• "The meeting was boring and unproductive, but we won't waste any more time discussing it. Make a long story short, nothing happened."
• "I went on a road trip with my family last summer, but we encountered so many problems along the way. However, I won't go into all the details. Make a long story short, we ended up stranded in the middle of nowhere for hours."
• "The movie was really long and had too much going on, but the plot was predictable. Make a long story short, it wasn't worth watching."

Roots and History

The idiom "make a long story short" has been in use since at least the early 20th century. The earliest known use of the phrase can be found in a collection of stories called "Funnies" by A.C. Dickson in 1924. However, it's difficult to trace the origin of this idiom further back. The meaning and usage of this idiom have remained relatively consistent over time. It has become a common expression used in everyday language to summarize complex or lengthy situations.

Synonyms in English

• "In a nutshell"
• "To cut to the chase"
• "To give you the gist of it"
• "To get to the point"
• "To skip to the end"

Synonyms in other languages

• Spanish: "En resumen"
• French: "Dans le bref"
• German: "Zusammenfassend"
• Italian: "In conclusione"
• Russian: "Кратко сказать"

Similar Idioms

• in the pipeline

• topsy-turvy

• chink in the armour