Meaning
used to summarize a lengthy story or explanation briefly, indicating the speaker is skipping details to get to the main point
Primary Function
summarizing and discourse management
Communicative Purpose
signals that the speaker is skipping details and getting directly to the main point, saving time and the listener's attention
Pattern
To cut a long story short
Core Structure
To cut a long story short
Função primária
summarizing and discourse management
Propósito comunicativo
signals that the speaker is skipping details and getting directly to the main point, saving time and the listener's attention
Situações de gatilho
in informal conversations, emails, or social media posts when someone wants to avoid lengthy explanations
Contextos
everyday conversational settings, professional emails, and social media storytelling
Padrão
To cut a long story short
Estrutura central
To cut a long story short
Slots de substituição
a clause that states the outcome or main point
Colocados típicos
- we ended up
- I didn't get
- it turned out
Substituições comuns
- In short
- Long story short
- To make a long story short
Erros comuns
using this phrase in formal writing, omitting 'a' before 'long story'
Similar / contraste
In brief, The bottom line is
Interferências
literal translation from languages without an equivalent metaphorical sense
Família do chunk
- summarizing informal openers
Nuance
colloquial, conveys mild impatience or self-awareness about verbosity
Efeito pragmático
creates camaraderie, signals conversational ease, and helps listeners quickly grasp the essential point
Dica de memória
scissors cutting a long tale
Nota
This chunk is a common way to quickly move the conversation to the main point, especially useful in situations where time is of the essence or the listener's attention is limited.
Upgrade path
Basically → To cut a long story short → Suffice it to say
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