short and sweet

[shawrt uhn sweet]

idiom

1. pleasantly brief and relevant.

   We're in a hurry, so make it short and sweet.

Word History and Origins

Origin of short and sweet¹

First recorded in 1540–50

Idioms and Phrases

Satisfyingly brief and pertinent, as in When we asked about the coming merger, the chairman's answer was short and sweet—it wasn't going to happen. This expression was already proverbial in 1539, when it appeared in Richard Taverner's translation of Erasmus's Adagia. Over the years it was occasionally amplified, as in James Kelly's Scottish Proverbs (1721): “Better short and sweet than long and lax.”

Example Sentences

“I just want you” is also the mission statement of “Glitch,” a short and sweet pop number from 2022’s “Midnights.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Rutte will be hoping that his first summit as secretary general will be short and sweet.

Read more on BBC

Their run was short and sweet, but the pair have teased a potential return at some point in the year.

Read more on BBC

"Hi everybody, I'm going to make this short and sweet," Fury said.

Read more on BBC

That is why Trump keeps his slogans short and sweet.

Read more on Salon