little/nothing short of sth
nothing short of
At or near the same level of; equivalent to; exemplary of. Her latest book is nothing short of a masterpiece. The ambassador's actions were nothing short of treason.
nothing short of something
more or less the same as something bad; as bad as something. His behavior was nothing short of criminal. Climbing those mountains alone is nothing short of suicide.
nothing short of
The equivalent of, the same as, as in His accusation is nothing short of slander. This term is slightly stronger than little short of, meaning "almost the same as," as in Her claim is little short of stupid. The first term dates from about 1800, the second from about 1830. Also see short of.