Common English Expression “Long story short” “Long story short” is a phrase people use when they want to summarize something without giving all the details. People often use it when they don’t want to bore others with extra information, when they’ve been talking for a while and want to finish quickly, or when only the important part of the story matters. “I missed the bus, got caught in the rain, and spilled coffee on my shirt….. long story short, I was late to work.”