verb phrase🎓 English idiom

cut to the chase

to get straight to the point

What it means

To get straight to the most important point without wasting time on unnecessary details or preamble. It is often used to urge someone to skip the background and say what really matters.

Examples

  • We don't have much time, so let me cut to the chase.
  • Cut to the chase and tell me whether I got the job.
  • She cut to the chase and admitted the project was over budget.
  • Stop with the small talk and cut to the chase, please.

Where it comes from

The phrase comes from early Hollywood, where silent films would 'cut' from a dull dialogue scene straight to an exciting chase sequence. It became a figurative expression for skipping to the good part.

Related idioms

#beat around the bush#long story short#hit the nail on the head#read between the lines

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