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in a coconutshell 

A way of prefacing text that you originally started with saying "In a nutshell," because you thought it was gonna be conscise, but as it turned out, there was no quick way to say it.

There is very little space inside a nutshell, but there is a lot inside a coconut shell. So your long text needs a coconut shell. You could just erase the "In a nutshell," part, but that would make sense.
Someone: "Why is the US government making their students pay for their own college? That's why they're dumb. Other countries use tax money for higher education. But the US spends all its tax money on military. They also don't have mandatory military service. Why are so many people volunteering to do villainous shit if they don't have to??"

Someone else: "Well, in a nutshell, the issue with the free education and mandatory military service thing is that it's straightforward and honest. Dumb people care more about feeling like they're not being controlled than they do about anything else. If you exert power on them in any way that's upfront, it doesn't matter if it's fair. They'll fight you to the death. So it's better to just tell them they can't succeed if they don't go to college, make college unaffordable, then offer free college to anyone who joins the military voluntarily. That policy is effectively the same, except it puts the burden entirely on poor people. Anyone who's rich enough to pay for their own college can stay. Everyone thinks they're free."

The first someone: "That was not nutshell size."

Second someone: "Fine, I'll say 'In a coconutshell' next time."
More from Urban Dictionary

square grouper

Nickname given to bales of marijuana thrown overboard or out of airplanes. Origin is reportedly from members of the US Coast Guard in the area of Southern Florida.
"Base we've got some square groupers floating outside of Miami harbor."
square grouper by slipsheet November 6, 2004
Word of the Day on October 7, 2026
A girl who does ballet and only talks about ballet. Her schedule is filled with dance classes which does not allow her to do any other activity.
"Hey, do you know that girl Sally?"

"Yeah, she's kind of annoying. All she ever talks about it ballet."

"Wow, what a Bunhead."

"Hey Sally, you want to hang out this weekend?"
"I can't, I have dance."
"You're such a Bunhead."

"Yeah... I know."
Bunhead by Jen00 October 24, 2014
Word of the Day on October 6, 2026

trucker's tan 

A sunburn or suntan focused on the left arm. It is caused by the left side of the body being the only half that gets exposed to sunlight while driving. Presumably, it would be located on the right side of the body in countries where they drive on the left side of the road.
I had a trucker's tan after driving for 10 straight hours on a sunny day.
Word of the Day on October 5, 2026
The phenomenon where adults salivate at children's toys
Every time I walk into the toy aisle, I catch myself kidulting over the latest action figures and LEGO sets!
kidulting by Emotional Cruiser October 12, 2025
Word of the Day on October 4, 2026
British slang for a scientist or technical expert, esp . when the speaker is not certain of the expert’s specific field of study. Not necessarily derogatory, but typically used by persons without a technical background. In the US, the equivalent would be “egghead”, “squint”, or “geek.”

Origin of the word is unknown. Started sometime in World War 2. Given the typical evolution of British slang, could easily have started because what these experts did was confusing or “baffling” to the common person.
According to the boffins downstairs, the murderer used a serrated blade.
Boffin by Agnon February 11, 2023
Word of the Day on October 3, 2026

Pee Calculus

When you have to pee in a movie but don’t want to miss anything, and must do the following mental equation: will the amount I have to pee cause enough discomfort to diminish my attention capacity for the remainder of the movie to an extent which is greater than the amount of the movie I would miss by making a mad dash to the restroom.
I saw Satantango last night, wonderful film but by the 5th hour I had to start doing pee calculus.
Pee Calculus by anorlondo October 1, 2026
Word of the Day on October 2, 2026
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