Ret's Weekend English Roundup ✦ Week 43, 2026

View this lesson in your browser WEEK 43 • 2026 A five-minute English lesson for your weekend THIS WEEK'S EXPRESSION cut to the chase idiom  |  /kʌt tə ðə tʃeɪs/ MEANING cut to the chase means to get straight to the point and leave out unnecessary details or small talk. En français : Aller droit au but • En venir à l’essentiel. How is it used? This informal idiom is used when you want someone (or yourself) to skip the preamble and focus on the important part. It comes from early Hollywood: directors would “cut” from slow scenes to the exciting chase sequence. It can sound a little direct, so tone matters. Useful patterns: Let’s cut to the chase • I’ll cut to the chase • Why don’t we cut to the chase? SEE IT IN CONTEXT 1 Look, I’m short on time — can we cut to the chase?   2 I’ll cut to the chase: we need a decision by Friday.   3 After five minutes of small talk, she finally cut to the chase and asked for the raise. QUICK CHECK Which sentence uses cut to the chase correctly? A. Let’s cut to the chase and talk about the weather for a while. B. The dog cut to the chase after the rabbit. C. I’ll cut to the chase: the project is over budget. D. She cut to the chase the movie last night. Answer: C. The idiom means “get straight to the important point.” A contradicts the meaning, B is literal, and D is grammatically incorrect. YOUR TURN Complete these sentences: Let’s cut to the chase: ________. I’ll cut to the chase and tell you ________. Why don’t we cut to the chase and ________? Reply to this email with your own sentence. I read every reply. Hear “cut to the chase” in real English → Listen to several speakers. Notice how the words flow together quickly: cut to the chase. EXPLORE FURTHER WordReference  •   Linguee  •   Cambridge Dictionary  •   Reverso Context Enjoyed this lesson? Share it by email  •  Subscribe Unsubscribe  •  View online © October 2026 Rethabile Masilo • Ret's Word of the Day