cut to the chase
Get directly there
Cut to the chase means to get to the point without preamble or delay.
The phrase comes from early film direction—skip the dialogue, get to the action sequence.
I don't have much time, so let me cut to the chase.
Often used as an imperative when someone is being long-winded.
- bottom lineEssential point or conclusion
- cruxMost important point
- concludeEnd or infer
- get to the pointSpeak directly now
- long story shortPhrase introducing a summary
straight to the point · summarize · gist · directness · succinctness · TL;DR · terseness · no-nonsense · conciseness · laconicism · clarity · essentials · nitty gritty · efficiency · straightforwardness · brevity · get down to brass tacks · decisiveness
- Old Idiomsbeyond the pale, hue and cry, scot-free, knight in shining armor, eat humble pie
- Get to the Pointbottom line, in a nutshell, spit it out, long story short, straight talk
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
- exasperationugh, sigh, groan, argh, geez
- focusfocus, concentration, attention, focal point, concentrate
cut to the chasebeat around the bush
Avoid stating directly
hedge · skirt the issue · equivocate · hem and haw · talk in circles
cut to the chasemeander
To travel without direction
ramble · go off on a tangent · digress · drone on · waffle
cut to the chasetake one's time
Act without haste
drag one's feet · dilly-dally · dawdle · prolong · set the stage
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