In a nutshell meaning in English
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Definition
in a nutshell: briefly, basically, in summary, in short
Examples
- "Brian : That's about it in a nutshell."
Exercise 1
When the shopkeeper asks if he wants to spy on the spies, Brian replies, "That's about it in a nutshell." The following sentences all include "in a nutshell". Select those which use the expression correctly.
"Tell us the story of "War & Peace" in a nutshell."
"My girlfriend's away and I'm in a nutshell."
"I think your crazy boss is in a nutshell."
"Wow! Maria in Accounts is a real blonde in a nutshell!"
"My idea, in a nutshell, is to increase sales by lowering prices."
"Tell us the story of "War & Peace" in a nutshell."
"My girlfriend's away and I'm in a nutshell."
"I think your crazy boss is in a nutshell."
"Wow! Maria in Accounts is a real blonde in a nutshell!"
"My idea, in a nutshell, is to increase sales by lowering prices."
When the shopkeeper asks if he wants to spy on the spies, Brian replies, "That's about it in a nutshell." The following sentences all include "in a nutshell". Select those which use the expression correctly.
"Tell us the story of "War & Peace" in a nutshell." Correct 1
"My girlfriend's away and I'm in a nutshell." Incorrect 2
"I think your crazy boss is in a nutshell." Incorrect 3
"Wow! Maria in Accounts is a real blonde in a nutshell!" Incorrect 4
"My idea, in a nutshell, is to increase sales by lowering prices." Correct 5
"Tell us the story of "War & Peace" in a nutshell." Correct 1
"My girlfriend's away and I'm in a nutshell." Incorrect 2
"I think your crazy boss is in a nutshell." Incorrect 3
"Wow! Maria in Accounts is a real blonde in a nutshell!" Incorrect 4
"My idea, in a nutshell, is to increase sales by lowering prices." Correct 5
1 Correct: This is correct. The expression "in a nutshell" means a brief summary. When someone asked Woody Allen to summarize Tolstoy's enormous novel "War & Peace" in a nutshell, he replied: "It's about Russia"!
1 Incorrect: This sentence is not incorrect. The expression "in a nutshell" means a brief summary, and it makes sense here.
2 Incorrect: This sentence is incorrect. The expression "in a nutshell" means a brief summary, and it cannot describe a person's state of mind.
2 Correct: This sentence is not correct.
3 Incorrect: This sentence is incorrect. The expression "in a nutshell" means a brief summary. In casual, spoken English, a "nut" or "nutcase" is a mild eccentric, but that is a different construction.
3 Correct: This sentence is not correct.
4 Incorrect: This sentence is incorrect. The expression "in a nutshell" means a brief summary. The expression "blonde bombshell" was used in 1940s Hollywood to describe devastatingly attractive, possibly dangerous, women. This is a different construction.
4 Correct: This sentence is not correct.
5 Correct: This sentence is correct. The expression "in a nutshell" means a concise summary, and can be used to "sum up" or "give a short explanation of" an idea.
5 Incorrect: This sentence is not incorrect.
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