What do you do when you have a long, intricate narrative but not enough time to get out all the details? Idioms come in handy in confusing situations like this, and the one that solves this problem is the phrase, “make a long story short.” Is that the correct phrase, though?
It is correct to say “make a long story short” when you precede it with “to” or shorten it to “Long story short.” You can say, “To make a long story short, I didn’t make it on time,” or “Long story short, I didn’t make it on time.” This is a smooth way to indicate that you’re skipping the unimportant details of a story.
Stay with us while we give you the crucial details of this idiom. We’ll examine its meaning, how we use it, and consider the role idioms play in English.
What Does “Make a Long Story Short” Mean?
“Make a long story short” means to describe something that happened “in a few words, without giving all the details” (source). It’s a quick way to let your audience know there are more details to the story, but you’re keeping it concise.
This idiom is more evident than most. It literally means the speaker is telling a long story in a straightforward way, or in other words, turning a long story into a shorter one. The meaning of “To make a long story short” and “Long story short” is the same. Here’s an example of each.
- I was running late, and, to make a long story short, I made it to work covered in coffee.
- Long story short: I made it to work with coffee all over me.
How Do You Use “Make a Long Story Short”?
Use either variation of “make a long story short” in its own portion of the sentence, separated by proper punctuation. Grammatically, “make a long story short” is a phrase because it functions similarly to a dependent clause but has no subject (source). It either starts or appears in the middle of a sentence.
Phrases and dependent clauses are similar in function, but dependent clauses have a subject and a verb. “Make a long story short” is classified as a phrase due to lacking a subject.
Here’s an example of “make a long story short” at the start and in the middle of a sentence. We’ll use “to make a long story short” because it’s more common in writing:
- To make a long story short, I dropped the cake.
- The sidewalk was icy, and, to make a long story short, I dropped the cake.
When Can You Use “Make a Long Story Short”?
You can use “make a long story short” to tell a story more concisely. For example, we sometimes use this idiom to tell a humorous story. It’s also a means for a speaker or writer to leave space for their audience to fill in the gaps without having to spell out every detail.
If you don’t have time to give the full story details, this phrase is good to use. It helps get the point across without getting lost in the details.
“Make a long story short” is also good when you give your audience room to figure out the story for themselves. This is a common tool for narratives. Give your audience enough to put the pieces together, but not so much that they become lost and bored in minor details.
Let’s return to a previous example to demonstrate the difference “make a long story short” has on a narrative.
- I was running late, and, to make a long story short, I made it to work covered in coffee.
The writer could have drawn this moment out with every detail of the story, but this version is much more compelling. This allows the audience to fill in the gaps, giving them a deeper connection to the story since they see the moment through their own imagination.
When Not to Use “Make a Long Story Short”
Don’t use “make a long story short” when full detail is needed. For example, an academic piece needs full-color, in-depth writing so as not to miss any important factors. “Make a long story short” is an English idiom and, therefore, too informal for formal writing and contexts.
Don’t use this idiom if you’re writing an argumentative essay for school. Specific tools improve an argument, but this is not one of them. Though there is an acceptable degree of storytelling in informal argument contexts, you need precise details in formal or academic styles, such as reports, essays, and evaluations.
Other contexts where you should avoid using “make a long story short” are testifying in court, answering interview questions, or answering an authority’s direct inquiries. You should avoid using this idiom in these contexts because it is super informal and therefore conveys a lack of respect for the gravity of these situations.
Using “Make a Long Story Short” in a Full Sentence
When you use “To make a long story short,” either start a sentence with this phrase or place it between commas at the proper place. The shorter version of this idiom, “long story short,” is usually spoken and doesn’t appear in writing as often as its longer counterpart.
If you start a sentence with, “To make a long story short,” its introduction is a separate sentence that comes first. If you place the introduction and the idiom within the same sentence, surround “to make a long story short” with commas after an “and.”
We’ll demonstrate the two methods of using this phrase in the table below. Pay attention to the different punctuation.
| Method | Example Sentence |
| With a separate introduction | The road was dark, and my phone died. To make a long story short, I arrived home a few hours late. |
| In the same sentence as the introduction | The road was dark; my phone died, and, to make a long story short, I arrived home a few hours late. |
“Long story short” is less common in writing and more common in speech. So if a speaker uses this phrase, you’re more likely to hear them say “long story short” rather than “to make a long story short.”
That said, “long story short” follows the same rules as “to make a long story short” when written but with one exception. When a sentence starts with “long story short,” the phrase is followed by a colon rather than a comma. Here’s an example of using “long story short” correctly:
- My kids colored on my report. Long story short: I got in trouble with my boss.
- My kids colored on my report, and, long story short, I got in trouble with my boss.
What Can You Use Instead of “Make a Long Story Short”?
Other phrases synonymous to “make a long story short” include “in a nutshell,” “to the point,” and “boiled down” (source). These phrases need a few tweaks to use them properly, but we use them in the same way as “make a long story short.”
We’ve put each of these substitutes in a table so you can see the changes needed to make each phrase work in a sentence.
| Phrase | Example |
| “Make a long story short” | To make a long story short, I didn’t like what you said. |
| “In a nutshell” | In a nutshell, I didn’t like what you said to me. |
| “To the point” | To get to the point, I didn’t like what you said. |
| “Boiled down” | The boiled down version is that I didn’t like what you said. |
In terms of grammar rules, each phrase has the same use. In terms of connotation, however, there’s a slight difference between “make a long story short” and two of its substitutes. “Boiled down” is mostly the same, but “in a nutshell” and “to the point” are typically more formal.
For lack of a better phrase, we usually use them to get “to the point,” whereas we use “make a long story short” with narratives. It’s a minuscule difference, but it’s vital if you want your speech and writing to sound natural.
What Are Idioms?
Idioms are the common phrases of a language that you can’t always define by the words within them but hold a cultural meaning or a combined meaning according to their composite parts (source). Americans love using idioms; they’re a fun way to build friendships, express your own personality, and show openness toward others.
You can read about another idiom in our article, Is It Correct to Say “Many a Time”?
This article was written for strategiesforparents.com.
Here are a few common phrases along with their general meanings:
| Idiom | Meaning |
| Hang in there. | Don’t give up. |
| Break a leg. | Good luck. |
| So far, so good. | Everything is going well right now. |
| You can say that again. | I agree! |
Final Thoughts
There’s something about an idiom that automatically relaxes a conversation. Sometimes they’re funny. Other times, they’re downright ridiculous. Either way, idioms are a great way to “break the ice.” Unfortunately, they don’t always follow the rules, so you have to learn how to properly use them to avoid confusing your audience.
To make a long story short (not that we did), idioms will help you find a relatable tone in both writing and speech.