to make a long story short
to summarise quickly
In Spanish
to summarise quickly
Examples
- To make a long story short, we ended up missing the flight.
- She started talking about her weekend, and to make a long story short, they got engaged.
- To make a long story short, the project was a success despite the initial challenges.
When it's used
This idiom is often used in informal conversations to summarize lengthy stories. It is common among native speakers in everyday situations and rarely appears in formal writing. It is often used to save time when narrating a complex sequence of events.
The common mistake
A common mistake is translating the idiom literally from Spanish as 'to make a long story brief'. This translation is not natural in English and may confuse listeners.
Related idioms
FROM WHAT YOU READ TO WHAT YOU SAY
Recognising it isn't the same as using it
Reading an idiom and understanding it is step one. Dropping it into a conversation, at the right moment, without stopping to think, is another — and that only comes from speaking.
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