I know the meaning of “in a nutshell” but do not know what “nutshell” or “nut” itself stands for in this idiom.
Since it is a metaphor, I would like to know what it recalls to the speakers/listeners’ mind whose first langage is English. Etymology of the idiom would also be greatly appreciated.
Best Answer
The shell of a nut tends to be small and compact, which is why "in a nutshell" is used to mean "in a few words," or, more literally, "in a compact statement."
According to Wiktionary, the etymology is as follows:
"Calque" means "a word for word translation," and "in nuce" means "in a nut" in Latin.