Cut to the Chase
"To get straight to the point, skipping unnecessary detail."
Born in early Hollywood. Silent films frequently built toward an exciting chase sequence as their climax, and when a film's earlier scenes dragged, screenwriters and editors were literally instructed to cut to the chase, skipping the slow buildup and getting to the exciting part. The phrase is documented in film industry trade press from the 1920s before spreading into general use.
Sources: Documented in 1920s American film industry trade usage; cited in major etymological dictionaries as originating in screenwriting instructions.
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