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17 PHRASE You use nothing short of or little short of to emphasize how great or extreme something is. For example, if you say that something is nothing short of a miracle or nothing short of disastrous, you are emphasizing that it is a miracle or it is disastrous. [EMPHASIS ] □  The results are nothing short of magnificent.

18 PHRASE If you say that someone is, for example, several cards short of a full deck or one sandwich short of a picnic , you think they are stupid, foolish, or crazy. [INFORMAL ]

19 PHRASE If someone or something is short on a particular good quality, they do not have as much of it as you think they should have. [DISAPPROVAL ] □  The proposals were short on detail.

20 PHRASE If someone stops short of doing something, they come close to doing it but do not actually do it. □  He stopped short of explicitly criticizing the government.

21 PHRASE If workers are put on short time , they are asked to work fewer hours than the normal working week, because their employer can not afford to pay them a full-time wage. □  Workers across the country have been put on short time because of the slump in demand. □  Most manufacturers have had to introduce short-time working.

22 PHRASE If something pulls you up short or brings you up short , it makes you suddenly stop what you are doing. □  The name on the gate pulled me up short.

23 PHRASE If you make short work of someone or something, you deal with them or defeat them very quickly. [INFORMAL ] □  Agassi made short work of his opponent.

24short of breath → see breath

25at short notice → see notice

26to sell someone short → see sell

27to get short shrift → see shrift

28to cut a long story short → see story

29to draw the short straw → see straw

30in short supply → see supply

31in the short term → see term

➋ short /ʃɔː ^r t/ (shorts )

1 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Shorts are trousers with very short legs, that people wear in hot weather or for taking part in sports. □  …two women in bright cotton shorts and tee shirts.

2 N‑PLURAL [oft a pair of N ] Shorts are men's underpants with short legs. [mainly AM ]

3 N‑COUNT A short is a small amount of a strong alcoholic drink such as whisky, gin, or vodka, rather than a weaker alcoholic drink that you can drink in larger quantities. [mainly BRIT ]

4 N‑COUNT A short is a short film, especially one that is shown before the main film at the cinema.

short|age ◆◇◇ /ʃɔː ^r t I dʒ/ (shortages ) N‑VAR [n N ] If there is a shortage of something, there is not enough of it. □ [+ of ] A shortage of funds is preventing the U.N. from monitoring relief. □  Vietnam is suffering from a food shortage. COLLOCATIONS shortage NOUN

noun + shortage : food, housing, staff, water; skill

adjective + shortage : acute, chronic, critical, severe; global, nationwide, widespread, worldwide

verb + shortage : address, experience, face; ease, overcome; cause, create SYNONYMS shortage NOUN

deficiency:They did blood tests on him for signs of vitamin deficiency.

lack:Despite his lack of experience, he got the job.

shortfall:The government has refused to make up a £30,000 shortfall in funding.

scarcity:…an ever-increasing scarcity of water.

want:…a want of manners and charm.

sho rt back and si des also short-back-and-sides N‑SING If a man has a short back and sides , his hair is cut very short at the back and sides with slightly thicker, longer hair on the top of the head. [BRIT ]

short|bread /ʃɔː ^r tbred/ (shortbreads ) N‑VAR Shortbread is a kind of biscuit made from flour, sugar, and butter.

short|cake /ʃɔː ^r tke I k/

1 N‑UNCOUNT Shortcake is the same as shortbread . [BRIT ]