brief

brief (one) on (someone or something)

To tell one key information about someone or something, especially some imminent issue or situation. Please brief me on the candidate that I'll be interviewing this afternoon. Someone needs to brief the CEO on the investigation before he speaks to the media.
See also: brief, on

brief (someone) about (someone or something)

To tell someone key information about someone or something, often an issue or situation. Please brief me about the candidate that I'll be interviewing this afternoon. Someone needs to brief the CEO about the investigation before he speaks to the media.
See also: brief

hold no brief for (someone or something)

To be unable or unwilling to tolerate or support someone or something. The senator has stated numerous times that he holds no brief for the "rights" of big corporations. The boss holds no brief for slackers.
See also: brief, hold, no

in brief

In summary; to say it briefly. The film was, in brief, dull. If you can, please explain it in brief.
See also: brief

in snatches

In or for brief periods of time. I caught the speech in snatches, but the kids were screaming in the other room so I couldn't hear the TV properly. I was so anxious about how to pay for the car repairs that I only slept in snatches.
See also: snatch
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

brief someone about someone or something

 and brief someone on someone or something
to tell someone a summary with the essential details about someone or something. We need to brief the president about the latest event. I have to brief Michael on the new procedures at work.
See also: brief

hold no brief for someone or something

not to tolerate someone or something; to be opposed to someone or something. I hold no brief for Wally and his friends. Rachel holds no brief for that kind of thing.
See also: brief, hold, no

in brief

briefly; concisely. The whole story, in brief, is that Bob failed algebra because he did not study. Please tell me in brief why you want this job.
See also: brief
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

hold no brief for

Refuse to support, dislike, as in I hold no brief for liars. This term is a negative version of the legal expression hold a brief for, meaning "to support or defend a position by argument." The noun brief has been used in this way since the 1200s.
See also: brief, hold, no

in brief

Also, in short; in a word. Concisely, in few words, to sum up. All three phrases usually precede or follow a summary statement, as in In brief, we didn't get much out of his speech, or There was no agenda; in short, they could discuss whatever they wanted to, or The sun was shining, the sky was clear-in a word, it was a beautiful day. The first expression dates from the early 1400s; in short dates from the 1300s but the present usage dates from the 1700s; the hyperbolic in a word (since there is nearly always more than one word) dates from the late 1500s.
See also: brief
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.

hold no brief for something

BRITISH, FORMAL
If you hold no brief for a person, organization, activity or belief, you do not support them or respect them. This newspaper holds no special brief for a committee that has done nothing to distinguish itself in the past. He holds no brief for formal education. Note: In law, a brief is all the papers relating to a particular client's case that are collected by the client's solicitor and given to the barrister who will represent them in court.
See also: brief, hold, no, something

in brief

COMMON If someone says or writes something in brief, they use as few words as possible and do not give many details. This in brief is how I see the situation at the moment. The disease is discussed in brief here.
See also: brief
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

hold no brief for

not support or argue in favour of.
The brief referred to is the summary of the facts and legal points in a case given to a barrister to argue in court.
See also: brief, hold, no
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

hold no ˈbrief for somebody/something

(formal) not be in favour of or not support somebody/something, for example a cause, an idea, etc: I hold no brief for long prison sentences but this terrible crime really deserves one.
Brief in this expression is the summary of facts and legal points in a case that is given to a lawyer to argue in a court. If a lawyer ‘holds no brief for’ a person, company, etc. this is not one of their clients/cases.
See also: brief, hold, no, somebody, something

in ˈbrief

in a few words: I won’t give a you a long history of the dispute; in brief, it led to the business closing. And now, the news in brief.
See also: brief

in ˈsnatches

for short periods rather than continuously: Sleep came to him in brief snatches. OPPOSITE: at a stretch
See also: snatch
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

in brief

In short.
See also: brief
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.

hold no brief for, to

To refuse to endorse, support, or defend. The term comes from law, where to hold a brief for someone means to act as counsel for that person and to argue in his or her favor. The negative form of the expression became extremely common in the nineteenth century. The OED cites R. A. Knox writing in Spiritual Aeneid (1918): “When I was at Balliol we used to adopt the phrase ‘I hold no brief for so-and-so.’”
See also: brief, hold, no
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • brief (one) on (someone or something)
  • it is all up with
  • it is all up with (someone or something)
  • the bell tolls for (someone or something)
  • toll
  • ask not for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for (someone or something)
  • rumble on
  • hang over
  • hang over (someone or something)
  • hung over
References in periodicals archive
Next, quickly identify in your reply, but don't reargue, the issues from your opening brief that the appellee has failed to contest.
THE ART OF THE EFFECTIVE REPLY
Focus: Statutory Interpretation Rule 32(f) Form of Briefs
Statutory Interpretation Rule 32(f) Form of Briefs
He briefed about the statutory provisions of PIAC (Conversion) Act, 2016.
NA body on Privatization meets
(6) Both have continued to grow during the Roberts Court, with commentators and scholars considering the role of amicus briefs in the decisions the Justices make.
The Long and the Short of It: The Influence of Briefs on Outcomes in the Roberts Court
In reply, the FSOC contends that the bulk of MetLife's brief argues that the Council acted arbitrarily and capriciously by departing from its interpretive guidance, failing to address material submitted by MetLife, and "employing palpably false assumptions in its analysis."
FSOC defends MetLife designation
The current requirement that a brief contain a "summary of the argument" began in 1984 when the Florida courts decided to borrow this requirement from the federal courts.
Legalizing the appellate introduction
The Florida Supreme Court recently adopted amendments to Florida Rule of Appellate Procedure 9.210 (Briefs).
Amendments to the appellate rules
Email, Brief contains a fully functioning Email client, POP, IMAP and SMTP enabled, connect your existing accounts to have them appear in the Brief.
Brief App Goes Live
Both the appellate experience and reputation with the court of the counsel filing the brief and the prestige and reputation of the amicus participants may be vital to success.
The ins and outs of amicus briefing: The increasing influence of amicus briefs
Brief scores : Odisha: 202 & 255 ( V Kumar 7/ 58); K'taka: 213 In Indore, Madhya Pradesh bowled out Bengal for 299 to take a first innings lead of 43.
Siddarth scalps 6 to derail Saurashtra
OUR SIZE 14 MODEL Floral/polka dot bikini, top pounds 19.95, (RRP pounds 35) briefs pounds 14.95, (RRP pounds 23.50) Flamingo by Freya.
Bikinis plus!..
RESEARCH IN BRIEF. Baltimore: National Summer Learning Association, 2009.
Research in Brief
For example, affiliates and member companies can make use of our Amicus (friend-of-the-court) Brief Program.
Lending a legal hand
If the brief is well-reasoned and well-crafted, students
Making effective use of practitioners' briefs in the law school curriculum
Generally, the appellant's brief is due 30 days after transcript delivery or the filing of the notice of appeal if no transcript is ordered; the respondent's brief is due within 30 days of service of the appellant's brief; and the appellant's reply within 10 days of service of respondent's brief.
Briefly: How to get an extension if you really need one