Reader question:
In this sentence – On the issue of deportations, I will cut to the chase – what does "cut to the chase" mean?
My comments:
I'll not beat around the bush but get right down to the point of our discussion.
"Cut to the chase" means exactly that – get to the point.
In watching Jet Li movies on DVD at home, I do the cut-to-the-chase stuff a lot. That is, I hit the fast-forward button every time there is a dull scene, i.e. a conversation (in action movies, dialogues are often terrible to bear) until I stop at some action, i.e. Li beating guys up or, occasionally, vice versa.
In fact, that's believed to be the origin of the phrase. "Cut to the chase" came from the movie industry. It means exactly that – cutting from a dramatic scene to an action scene (typically a car chase in a shoot-them-up movie) so as to keep engaging the attention of an audience. If used outside the cinema, "cut to the chase" means simply "get to the point".
A great idea it is too. I once saw a leading official in a staff meeting at a small government outfit proceed to the podium and proclaim: "I will say just three sentences."
That's one sentence right there. But, not in a mood to nitpick, I thought now, this man might know what he is doing. I was wrong – That man went on to take another extended 45 minutes explaining and expounding on what those "three sentences" were.
If only leaders and officials all learned to cut to the chase at meetings, I thought at the time. That way, everyone would be able to get on with their lives.
If only, by the way, means it's not going to happen. Otherwise, meetings wouldn't be meetings.
Well, let's cut back to the chase now. There's another Jet Li scene you may want to see.
含有behind的重要短语
aim at与aim to do
你会使用apply吗
unless与if ... not的用法区别
含有add的若干重要短语
有关action的三个重要短语
persuade是“说服”还是“设法说服”
有关anxious的常见搭配
attack的用法
错误(wrong)句式归纳
动词feel用法详解
absence与absent
agree sb to do还是allow sb to do
attention搭配总汇
如何使用as a matter of fact
benefit重要短语归纳
at the back of与in the back of
这个one是什么意思
account短语用法详解
all用法要点
just because用法说明
not to say还是not to mention
always用法小议
含有bother的10个重要搭配
三个含有being的固定搭配
at all用法完全归纳
ahead of与go ahead
a.m. / A.M.用法说明
含有bad的三个短语
believe in的五个用法
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