In a nutshell

He had a lot to say, but his answer, in a nutshell, was no.

Sadio Mané wasted a glorious chance in the first half and, late on, Mohamed Salah turned his shot against a post after a goal-line clearance had spun his way. That, in a nutshell, perhaps sums up the difference between Messi and the players on the next rung below – the ones who can be described as great footballers without necessarily being football greats.

The yarns of seamen have a direct simplicity, the whole meaning of which lies within the shell of a cracked nut.