Meaning

"It's a long story" means the full explanation would take a while. People use it in two ways. Sometimes it's a gentle way to avoid explaining: you don't have time, or you'd rather not get into it right now. Other times it's a warning before a story: "It's a long story, but here goes."

It is friendly and works almost anywhere, from a coworker asking about your broken arm to a friend asking why you moved. If someone says it and stops, you can offer "Tell me later?" and let it go; pushing can feel nosy. Its partner is "long story short", which you say when you skip the details and jump to the end: "Long story short, we missed the ferry."

In a conversation

MeiVikram
  1. Mei
  2. Vikram
  3. Mei
  4. Vikram
  5. Mei
  6. Vikram

Say it out loud

Tap a sentence to hear it. Say it after the voice.

Check yourself

1Vikram first says only "It's a long story." What is he probably doing?
2What does "long story short" mean?

Practice · 3 min

Listen, then say each line. "It's a long story" usually ends with a small sigh, and "long" gets the stress.

Say it today

Use it once in a real conversation before tomorrow. Out loud counts, even to yourself.