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[1285] Spare me the details

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English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • A request or command for someone to omit unnecessary, unpleasant, overly graphic, boring, or intimate information.
  • Essentially means Get to the point or I don't need/want to know all that.

Origin

  • Spare me means refrain from inflicting something unpleasant on me.
  • Here, the unpleasantness is listening to excessive or unwanted details.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Cut to the chase.
  • Get to the point.
  • Give me the bottom line.
  • I don't need the play-by-play. / Blow-by-blow.
  • TMI! (Too Much Information especially for overly personal details)
  • In a nutshell... (Used by the speaker preemptively)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Just the highlights, please.
  • Gimme the Reader's Digest version. (US reference to condensed magazine articles) / Cliff's Notes version. (US reference to study guides)
  • Boil it down.

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Cut the crap.
  • I don't need your life story. (Sarcastic)

More Polite/Formal:

  • Could you summarize the main points?
  • Let's stick to the headlines for now.
  • What's the executive summary? (Business context)

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal to semi-formal. Can sound abrupt or rude depending on tone and relationship.
  • Use cautiously in professional settings. Could we focus on the key takeaways? or Perhaps just the summary for now? is more diplomatic.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Primarily about tone. Learners should be careful not to sound ruder than intended. It's a way of shutting down detail, which can be perceived negatively.

Examples

  • Person A: My root canal was so painful, first the drilling, then the... Person B: Okay, spare me the details! Glad it's over.
  • Just tell me if you finished the project, spare me the details of every problem you encountered.
  • I heard they broke up. Spare me the details, I don't want to get involved.

Dialogue

Alex: So, how was your blind date?

Jamie: Oh god, where do I begin? He showed up late, spilled soup on me, talked about his ex the whole time...

Alex: Whoa, okay, spare me the details. Bottom line: second date?

Jamie: Absolutely not.

Social Media Examples

  • Reply to a long, rambling post: Dude, spare me the details, what's the actual point?
  • Tweet: Reading graphic descriptions of medical stuff online... no thanks, spare me the details. 🤢
  • Chat: Friend 1: *Starts describing bathroom issues* Friend 2: STOP! Spare me the details!

Response Patterns

  • Okay, okay. The short version is...
  • Right, got it. (Stops giving details)
  • Fine. (May sound slightly offended)
  • But you're missing the best part! (Playful)

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After hearing Spare me the details:

  • The person speaking usually jumps to the main point or conclusion (Long story short, we won).

The conversation moves on:

  • Focusing on the summary rather than the omitted specifics.

Conversation Starter

  • No. A response cutting short excessive detail.

Intonation

  • Can range from firm and dismissive to slightly impatient or even lighthearted/joking.
  • Emphasis often on Spare and details. SPARE me the DETAILS.

Generation Differences

  • Understood and used by most adult generations. TMI is more common among younger generations for personal oversharing.

Regional Variations

  • Common in most English-speaking regions.
Don't get me started on..
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