Will you respond “short” or “shortly”?

The word “short”, while being relative (how short is short?) confuses when the more apt meaning may be “shortly”.

1. “The money in the till is short for the third day in a row,” yelled the manager.
2. The new clerk, a short guy called “Shorty”, would be asked some questions shortly.
3. “Don't be short with me,” the clerk begged. “My bank account was short of funds.”
4. The manager responded with a short remark, “You’re fired.”

#1 short money (adjective)
#2 short guy (adj.) asked shortly (adverb)
#3 be short (adv.); short funds (adj.)
#4 short remark (adj.) with double meaning: The remark was brief and indicated annoyance.

As an adjective, short means “less than, smaller than, not as long, not as much”. It also means “abrupt”.
As an adverb, shortly means “soon, in a small amount of time”, also “a manner of speaking abruptly”.
Shorty is just a nickname.


*For even more meanings, check out your dictionary.