short fuse

In short, we found ways to couch messages of failure or inadequacy.

Sometimes the stems are quite bare; on other occasions they are partly branched; in any case the branches are short.

Many of their cannon balls that fell far short of us, were collected and returned to them with powerful effect.

He was tall and of familiar figure, and the firelight was playing in the tossed curls of his short, fair hair.

They are ovoid in shape, and lie in pairs, end to end, often forming short chains.

And since he was a very fast runner—for short distances—he met Grandfather Mole just as the old chap was crawling up the bank.