Cut to the chase

Cut to the chase is a saying that means to get to the point without wasting time.

The phrase originated from early silent films. It was a favorite of, and thought to have been coined by, Hal Roach Sr. (January 14, 1892 – November 2, 1992).

Films, particularly comedies, often climaxed in chase scenes. Some inexperienced screenwriters or directors would pad the film with unnecessary dialog, which bored the audience and prolonged the time before the exciting chase scene. "Cut to the chase" was a phrase used by studio executives, meaning don't bore us with the dialog - get to the interesting scenes without unnecessary delay. The phrase is now widely used, and means "get to the point."

An earlier version of the phrase (recorded 1880-1940) was Cut to Hecuba. This refers to the practice of shortening matinée performances of Hamlet by cutting the long speeches before the reference to Hecuba in Act II, Scene ii.

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To the Point

To the Point is an hour-long public affairs radio program co-produced by KCRW in Santa Monica, California and Public Radio International. The program originates at KCRW at 1 pm Pacific Time each weekday. Award-winning journalist Warren Olney hosts the show; it is syndicated nationwide by PRI and currently airs in 15 states and Washington, D.C. by Public Radio International. KCRW also podcasts the program.

Format

The program begins with its theme music, a clip from John Coltrane's A Love Supreme. Olney then introduces the topics for the day's program, followed by a break for carrier stations to play syndicated news headlines, typically provided by NPR.

In the opening segment, Olney discusses a recent or breaking news development with a guest, typically a newspaper journalist. The journalist joins Warren by phone, and the segment lasts about 10 minutes.

The following segment, which occupies most of the show, features a roundtable discussion of a topic of national or international interest, including issues of politics, policy, war, and science. Unlike most news programs, which tend to interview newsmakers, To the Point instead interviews "experts" – typically think tank members, professors in related fields, or observers from non-profit groups, who have comprehensive understandings of the events. Olney moderates the discussion, beginning with one guest and adding one every few minutes; typically, three commentators eventually join Olney during this main segment, all by phone. The segment is split in half by Miles Davis's "Blue in Green."

The point (ice hockey)

The point is a term in ice hockey to indicate a position inside the opposition's blue line along the edges of the rink.

Description

A player in the opponent's end zone at the junction of the blue line with the boards is said to be at the point. Usually the players at the two points are the defencemen. On the power play the players playing at these positions are always known as the points, though one of the positions is sometimes played by a forward.

The point's responsibilities include attempting to keep the puck in the offensive zone when the defensive team attempts to clear (see also Offside (ice hockey)), receiving a pass from the forwards to allow the play to reset, and taking slapshots at the goal, hoping to score, create a rebound or a deflection. On the power play, one of the players playing the point is typically the "quarterback" - that is, the one who controls (through passing) where the puck goes, and also takes lots of shots.

Given the difficulty of scoring directly from the point due to the distance to the goal, goals scored from the point are typically either on screens, or are tipped goals.

To The Point (TV series)

To The Point is an Australian television political commentary program broadcast 4 times weekly on Sky News Australia. The program is hosted by Kristina Keneally and Peter van Onselen. The program premiered on 1 June 2015 and covers a range of political news as well as commentary and analysis from Keneally and van Onselen, plus guest contributors.

The program replaced Lunchtime Agenda in the 1:30pm AEST timeslot and serves as a lead-in to Parliament Question time during parliamentary sitting weeks. The program airs in-between PVO NewsDay, which van Onselen hosts solo.

It is broadcast from the Sky News centre in the Sydney suburb of Macquarie Park. Laura Jayes has filled in as a guest co-host.

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(Get to) The Point

(Get to) The Point was a short-lived current events discussion television program that aired on CNN in April 2013. Initially billed by CNN as "a week of special programming", the program was hosted by advertising executive and television personality Donny Deutsch with a panel that consisted of political commentator and gay rights activist Margaret Hoover, ESPN columnist Rick Reilly and ESPN NFL analyst Jason Taylor. A fifth panelist slot was filled by a different person each day.(Get to) The Point attracted a great deal of ridicule on Twitter during its time on air. Also during that time, the program averaged just 268,000 viewers with an average of merely 77,000 viewers in the 25-54 viewing demographic. It was also mocked by comedian Jon Stewart during his Comedy Central show. As a result of the low ratings, CNN's management decided not to continue with the show, cancelling (Get to) The Point after only a week of airtime.

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