the.com/brief
The promise of shortness, kept only by lawyers' bills and underwear.
means Lasting a short time, or a concise document summarizing facts and arguments.
from From Latin brevis, short, via the legal brevis, a brief letter of authority, which gave us both the noun and the irony of 100-page briefs.
Legal jokeA legal brief is rarely brief.
UnderwearBriefs named for their minimal cut, 1930s.
Same rootAbbreviate and abridge share brevis.