short and sweet

American  

[shawrt uhn sweet] / ˈʃɔrt ən ˈswit /

idiom

1. pleasantly brief and relevant.

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

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short and sweet More Idioms  

1. 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.”

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Etymology

Origin of short and sweet

First recorded in 1540–50

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

short and sweet

My question is short and sweet: What do I do with an extra $500,000 in my IRA?

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 3, 2026

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

From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2025

Specializing in the centuries-old tenderloin recipe "Bife à Marrare," which they claim to have perfected, Brilhante's menu is short and sweet, but offers a little of everything you might want.

From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2024

“It could be short and sweet, like six months,” said Williams.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 22, 2024

I tell him the short and sweet of it.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick