Click below to listen to the phrase.
Choose the correct definition a, b or c.
a) without details
Well done ! That’s the right answer.
The long and the short of it is the most important point ; the summary of the matter. It is said when one wants to explain the general situation (often complicated) without giving details.
French translation
en bref, pour faire court, en gros
How NOT to translate : *le long et le court de l’affaire
or even* la position longue et la position courte actually found in an ’official’ translation.
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Examples in context
‘Red-hot Ian Hutchinson honoured to join great Hailwood on 14 Isle of Man TT triumphs
Treble yell : Ian Hutchinson celebrates his third win of the 2016 Isle of Man TT in the Supersport class and has plans to step it up a gear in the Senior TT race
(…)
Asked if he could have beaten Hutchinson on another day, he added : "There’s no need for me to make the big talk as I know how quick I can be around here if everything is working as I like it.
"Records have been getting broken all week, but no one has broken my Supersport record from 2013.
(…)
"We had small problems and I know what the problems are. We just didn’t have enough time on the wee 600, that’s the long and short of it. It’s now time to get back on the Superbike and push."’
Belfast Telegraph, 9 June 2016
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‘The IOC has passed the buck on Russia — pure and simple
The International Olympic Committee has passed the buck in the quickest and most simple way it could. “We don’t want to make an example of Russia but we expect the various International Federations to go through the evidence and make up their own minds” is about the long and short of it.’
The Sunday Times, 25 July 2016
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Everyday usage
The long and the short of it is that they are willing to start the work in January.
Jill : Is there some reason that you’ve spent the last half hour praising Fred ?
Jane : The long and the short of it is, I love working with him so much that I could do overtime every day.
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