Cut the crap

[alexpen]

cut the crap
I seek a polite way of putting this in English.
I want to write a sentence introduced by something like this:
Ok, cutting all that highbrow crap... (and go on to say what I am going to say)

 

[Tdol]

Leaving the highbrow stuff to one side....

 

[Charlie Bernstein]

cut the crap
I seek a polite way of putting this in English.
I want to write a sentence introduced by something like this:
Okay, cutting all that highbrow crap... (and go on to say what I am going to say).

Depending on the context, you could try something like:

- Okay, cutting to the chase,
- Okay, to make a long story short,
- Okay, to get right to the point,
- Okay, the bottom line is,
- Okay, briefly,
- Okay, in lay terms,
- Okay, boiling it all down,
- Okay, skipping the ten-dollar words,

I hope that helps!

 

[alexpen]

Thank you for all your ideas.
I pick out the 'ten-dollar words' this time )

 

[Rover_KE]

That won't mean anything to British English speakers.

We don't even say 'ten pound words'.

 

[Tdol]

I pick out the 'ten-dollar words' this time

Cutting out would work better for me.

 

[alexpen]

That won't mean anything to British English speakers.

We don't even say 'ten pound words'.

By coincidence, it targets American audience.

 

[Tarheel]

By coincidence, it targets an American audience.

 

[Barb_D]

I can't say I've ever heard "ten-dollar words."
I grew up hearing about "two-bit" words. I guess I could make the connection.

 

[emsr2d2]

In that case, just change 'crap' to 'excrement'.

I'm confused. Are you saying that AmE speakers don't use the word "crap", or the phrase "cut the crap"? That doesn't fit with the AmE speakers I know.

 

[alexpen]

try "the" - it's more logical :lol:

 

[alexpen]

In that case, just change 'crap' to 'excrement'.

It would be highbrow

 

[emsr2d2]

Try "the" - it's more logical. :lol:

Tarheel was quite right to tell you that it should be "... target an American audience". Using "the" there would be incorrect.

It would be highbrow.

The word "excrement" isn't considered highbrow in any circle I'm aware of.

Note my corrections to both your posts. You must start every sentence with a capital letter and end every sentence with one appropriate punctuation mark.

 

[alexpen]

The word "excrement" isn't considered highbrow in any circle I'm aware of.

You take that suggestion seriously?

 

[alexpen]

Tarheel was quite right to tell you that it should be "... target an American audience". Using "the" there would be incorrect.

Could you, perhaps, specify why? Because in this context here we juxtapose the British and the American, so the definite article seems more logical to me.

 

[Tarheel]

I don't think anybody here can give you an answer that will satisfy you. However, I can give you an example of its usage.

My poems do not target an American audience or a British audience, but they are for anybody who wants to read them.

 

[Tdol]

Could you, perhaps, specify why? Because in this context here we juxtapose the British and the American, so the definite article seems more logical to me.

He's not targeting every American, but one group of people who are American.

 

[alexpen]

He's not targeting every American, but one group of people who are American.

He? Who? I was trying to word the initial sentence. And I take it that "a ten-dollar word" is a phrase that originates from America - since it mentions dollars and not pounds. Maybe not quite American?