How do you use "To cut a long story short" in a sentence?

To cut a long story short, we ended up getting married. Long story short, he got the job. To cut a long story short, it all worked out in the end.

To cut a long story short

Q: What does "To cut a long story short" mean?

To summarize, getting to the point without details A transition phrase signaling you're skipping details to reach the conclusion. Acknowledges there's more to tell but the essentials are what matter.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★★ Very Common Casual

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Meaning: To summarize, getting to the point without details

长话短说，省略细节直奔主题

Resumir, ir al grano sin detalles

要約すると、詳細を省いて要点を言う

간단히 말하자면

A transition phrase signaling you're skipping details to reach the conclusion. Acknowledges there's more to tell but the essentials are what matter.

一个过渡性用语，表示你跳过细节直接说结论。承认还有更多可以讲的，但重要的是核心内容。

Una frase de transición que indica que te saltas los detalles para llegar a la conclusión. Reconoce que hay más que contar, pero lo esencial es lo que importa.

詳細を飛ばして結論にたどり着くことを示すつなぎ言葉。もっと話すことはあるが、本質的なことが重要であると認めるもの。

세부 사항을 건너뛰고 결론으로 가겠다는 전환 표현. 더 이야기할 것이 있지만 핵심만 말하겠다는 뜻이다.

Examples

To cut a long story short, we ended up getting married.
长话短说，我们最终结婚了
Resumiendo, acabamos casándonos
手短に言えば、結局結婚した
간단히 말하자면, 결국 우리는 결혼했어.
Long story short, he got the job.
简而言之，他得到了那份工作
En resumen, consiguió el trabajo
要するに、彼はその仕事を得た
요약하자면, 그는 그 일자리를 얻었어.
To cut a long story short, it all worked out in the end.
长话短说，最后一切都顺利了
Resumiendo, al final todo salió bien
手短に言えば、最終的にすべてうまくいった
간단히 말하자면, 결국 모든 게 잘 풀렸어.

Pronunciation

/kʌt ə lɒŋ ˈstɔːri ʃɔːt/

Usage Guide

Context: storytelling, explanations, summaries

Tone: efficient, conversational

✓ Do Say

To cut a long story short
长话短说
En resumidas cuentas
手短に言うと
간단히 말하자면
Long story short
简而言之
En resumen
要するに
요약하자면

✗ Don't Say

Should actually be followed by the short version
后面应该跟的是简短的结论
Debería ir seguido de la versión corta
実際にその後は短い結論を述べるべき
이 표현 뒤에는 실제로 짧은 요약이 와야 함

Common Mistakes

Saying it then telling the long version anyway

Origin & History

A conversational device that emerged in the 19th century. Recognizes that listeners may not want every detail and signals an efficient summary is coming.

Etymology: From storytelling efficiency

First recorded: 19th century

Cultural Context

Era: 19th century onwards

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Everyday conversation

Regional notes: Universal. Americans often just say 'long story short.'

Variations

To cut a long story shortLong story shortTo make a long story short