cut to the chase

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

to get to the most important part of something without wasting time on preamble or irrelevant detail; the expression originates in early Hollywood filmmaking, where the chase scene was typically the most exciting part of a silent film and editors were sometimes instructed to cut directly to it to maintain audience engagement; in modern usage it means to dispense with pleasantries, context-setting, or hedging and to state the essential point directly and without unnecessary delay