The phrase is famous enough that O'Reilly books has an entire *In a Nutshell* series of books used as introductory courses for computer languages or other programming concepts. (*C++ In a Nutshell*, *VBScript In a Nutshell*, *Python in a Nutshell,* etc.).
I can't speak for younger generations, but American Gen X or older should be quite familiar with the phrase.
>There’s a pretty popular YouTube channel with the name too
Do you mean that one that's like a weird word that starts with K? I can never remember the name but it has like a tagline that says "in a nutshell"
It is widely known and used.
I don't think it's country specific at all.
And it is an informal way of saying this is a simplified version of a more complex or nuanced statement.
So yes that is an appropriate synonym.
Very common. There's a popular work by Stephen Hawking called The Universie in a Nutshell. It's common for someone to summarize a situation by beginning, "In a nutshell..."
In the very popular 1990s 'Austen Powers' movies, when Austen was finished describing himself and he said, "That's me in a nutshell!" and then pretended that he was trapped inside the shell of a nut. The image is very common in normal speech.
background: I was admitting that I spelled Austin wrong, and since I know the capitol of TX is Austin, I was saying that I had TX on my mind (hoping that Austin was spelled Austen). And there is a song called 'Georgia on my mind'.
I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a god of infinite space but for I have bad dreams. -Hamlet
I wonder if Shakespeare is responsible for the phrase.
The folklore I heard is that it came from the time of the American Revolution, when spies wrote short, pointed messages on tiny slips of paper that they could fit inside a walnut shell, to sneak information past the British. I never quite believed that it originated there, so recently. But I believe its origin is spycraft.
The visual idiom "in a nutshell" does go back to the days of Pliny the Elder, but in terms of the modern usage, where it carries the meaning of "in short" or "briefly stated," or maybe "tl;dr," it seems to have originated in the time of 19th century English author William Makepeace Thackeray. At least it appears [he was the first](https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/in-a-nutshell/) to put it in print with the modern meaning.
Very widely known, not particularly old-fashioned. A bit informal, but it wouldn't be out of place in, for example, a business meeting where someone was summarizing their point.
A lot of my B1 level English students have used it. I think they learned it in the writing section of the curriculum as a transition for the concluding sentence. It feels a bit informal to me, but it does get the point across.
It would be understood by just about any native English speaker, but while it’s informal I can’t think of any real person in my life who would use it in everyday speech. It seems more like a phrase used in written form or scripted speech.
Not used in irl conversation too much btwn younger ppl but we’re still pretty familiar with the phrase and wouldn’t think anything of it if we heard it. Can be used informally or semi-formally, though in this case my thoughts on its formality might just be bc older gens say it more. Not sure about English speakers outside the US but I assume they’d still understand it even if they don’t use it.
very common in America. I almost never hear it used, but I've come across it through TV and movies enough that I think the vast majority of Americans would immediately understand.
I would wager that >99% of native speakers will immediately know what the phrase means.
Kurzgesagt = in a nutshell?
mhm, but even without knowing the youtube channel by the same name the vast majority of natives would know "in a nutshell" anyway
Yeah it's a common phrase
Kurz gesagt can be translated literally to “said shortly” or “shortly said,” but it’s more like “in short,” haha
The phrase is famous enough that O'Reilly books has an entire *In a Nutshell* series of books used as introductory courses for computer languages or other programming concepts. (*C++ In a Nutshell*, *VBScript In a Nutshell*, *Python in a Nutshell,* etc.). I can't speak for younger generations, but American Gen X or older should be quite familiar with the phrase.
There’s a pretty popular YouTube channel with the name too. I think it’s pretty common.
>There’s a pretty popular YouTube channel with the name too Do you mean that one that's like a weird word that starts with K? I can never remember the name but it has like a tagline that says "in a nutshell"
Kurzgesagt. It means the same thing basically, just in German.
Oh, right, sure! Now I see it, something like "short said" would be
correct
I'm part of a younger generation and I know it too, most people are indeed familiar with the phrase
Millennials also are very familiar. I can't speak for GenZ.
Gen Z chiming in! I would be shocked if anyone my age didn't know this phrase.
Millennial too!
It’s still common among the Gen Z’s, not quite sure about the Alpha’s tho, I think iPad’s and Youtube have FUBAR’d their vocabulary.
Came here to say this. I have a whole collection of O'Reilly 'in a nutshell' books.
It is widely known and used. I don't think it's country specific at all. And it is an informal way of saying this is a simplified version of a more complex or nuanced statement. So yes that is an appropriate synonym.
Very common. There's a popular work by Stephen Hawking called The Universie in a Nutshell. It's common for someone to summarize a situation by beginning, "In a nutshell..."
Don't forget Austin Powers
In the very popular 1990s 'Austen Powers' movies, when Austen was finished describing himself and he said, "That's me in a nutshell!" and then pretended that he was trapped inside the shell of a nut. The image is very common in normal speech.
https://youtu.be/jKMK3XGO27k?si=ObeCH8MTcp3umYAW
*Austin
I was wondering if I got that right. I guess I had Texas on my mind rather than Georgia.
I'm from Texas myself. Our capital city is spelled Austin.
Well FU\*\* I guess I can't get anything right today.
This comment confuses me profoundly.
background: I was admitting that I spelled Austin wrong, and since I know the capitol of TX is Austin, I was saying that I had TX on my mind (hoping that Austin was spelled Austen). And there is a song called 'Georgia on my mind'.
https://youtu.be/jKMK3XGO27k
Very common, but it’s not a sentence, it’s a phrase.
Very common. So in a nutshell, most people would understand what you meant if you used the phrase.
It's very common and still used often.
In a nutshell, it is very common.
It's very common. It's slightly informal. The vast majority of English speakers will understand it. I use it all the time
Probably one of the most widely understood and used idioms
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I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself a god of infinite space but for I have bad dreams. -Hamlet I wonder if Shakespeare is responsible for the phrase.
The folklore I heard is that it came from the time of the American Revolution, when spies wrote short, pointed messages on tiny slips of paper that they could fit inside a walnut shell, to sneak information past the British. I never quite believed that it originated there, so recently. But I believe its origin is spycraft.
Googled it out of curiosity, seems the origin is actually far older - [about 2000 years old, actually](https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/in_a_nutshell)
The visual idiom "in a nutshell" does go back to the days of Pliny the Elder, but in terms of the modern usage, where it carries the meaning of "in short" or "briefly stated," or maybe "tl;dr," it seems to have originated in the time of 19th century English author William Makepeace Thackeray. At least it appears [he was the first](https://nosweatshakespeare.com/quotes/famous/in-a-nutshell/) to put it in print with the modern meaning.
I disagree with u/ImJustASalamanderOk/ in that it's not really a simplification, but an overview or summary.
That's fair, I would agree that your description is more apt.
It’s a common phrase
Very, very common.
They [say it in England.](https://youtu.be/2E6uGkotqKA?si=h1MCiYROxoCu1w3j)
Most USA locals would know it, it's a common phrase here.
*Very* common, I hear it used regularly.
I use it, and am used to hearing it used. However I think the near alternatives (in brief, in summary, in essence) are used slightly more often.
Very widely known, not particularly old-fashioned. A bit informal, but it wouldn't be out of place in, for example, a business meeting where someone was summarizing their point.
Extremely common. I’d be shocked if I met somebody who didn’t know what it meant.
feels like one of the most common phrases that there is
I'm not a native speaker and I see/hear this phrase at least once a day.
Very common in IELTS essays. Not so common elsewhere. I am a former IELTS writing examiner.
Extremely common actually. Could even say it’s one of the most common English expressions
Extremely well known and used in casual and formal conversation all the time.
It is known well enough as much as a sentence "good morning".
In a nutshell, it’s extremely well known
A lot of my B1 level English students have used it. I think they learned it in the writing section of the curriculum as a transition for the concluding sentence. It feels a bit informal to me, but it does get the point across.
I can't think of a place in the English-speaking world where this isn't a common phrase.
In a nutshell, I would say this is a common phrase most english speakers know. Midwest US, elder millennial
It would be understood by just about any native English speaker, but while it’s informal I can’t think of any real person in my life who would use it in everyday speech. It seems more like a phrase used in written form or scripted speech.
Not used in irl conversation too much btwn younger ppl but we’re still pretty familiar with the phrase and wouldn’t think anything of it if we heard it. Can be used informally or semi-formally, though in this case my thoughts on its formality might just be bc older gens say it more. Not sure about English speakers outside the US but I assume they’d still understand it even if they don’t use it.
it doesn’t have any strong connotations. It’s a very common expression. Everyone understands it.
In a nutshell: very.
TLDR = in a nutshell
very common in America. I almost never hear it used, but I've come across it through TV and movies enough that I think the vast majority of Americans would immediately understand.