That's bullshit

[0125] Cut the crap

🎲 Screw that
English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • A command telling someone to stop talking nonsense, making excuses, lying, or delaying.
  • It means get to the point or stop being dishonest/evasive.
  • Crap here means nonsense or worthless talk/actions.

Origin

  • Similar origins to bullshit, with crap being a slightly less vulgar synonym for worthless material or talk. Popularized in the mid-20th century.
  • The verb cut implies stopping something abruptly.
  • It's a direct, impatient demand for honesty and brevity.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Cut the bullshit / Cut the BS (Stronger, more vulgar)
  • Get to the point. (More neutral)
  • Stop beating around the bush. (Idiomatic, less confrontational)
  • Spit it out. (Informal, demanding someone speak)
  • Stop messing around. (Less focused on speech, more on action/delay)
  • Let's cut to the chase. (More collaborative, less accusatory)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Quit your jibber-jabber. (Playful or mildly annoyed)
  • Less talk, more rock. (Focus on action over words)
  • Straight up. (Used to ask for or promise honesty)

Vulgar/Emphatic:

  • Cut the fucking crap! (Much stronger)
  • Stop fucking around.

Milder/More Polite:

  • Please be direct.
  • Can we get straight to the issue?
  • I need a clear answer, please.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Informal and direct, somewhat confrontational.
  • Considered rude and inappropriate in formal or professional settings.
  • Best used with peers in informal situations when impatience or suspicion is high. Using it with superiors is highly inadvisable.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Learners might use it without realizing how blunt and potentially aggressive it sounds.
  • It directly implies the other person is wasting time, being evasive, or lying.

Examples

  • Alright, cut the crap. What really happened?
  • I don't have time for this. Cut the crap and tell me what you want.
  • Cut the crap, I know you broke the vase.

Dialogue

Person A: Well, you see, the report isn't finished because the uh... the printer was acting up, and then I had this important call, and...

Person B: Cut the crap, Mark. Did you even start it?

Person A: ...No. Okay? I didn't.

Social Media Examples

  • Generally less common on public social media due to its direct, confrontational nature, unless used within a heated debate.
  • Forum reply: User keeps giving vague answers. Dude, cut the crap, what's the source for your claim?
  • In DMs/private chats: Let's cut the crap, are you going to pay me back or not?

Response Patterns

  • Compliance: Okay, okay. Here's the real story...
  • Defensiveness: I'm not giving you any crap! or What are you talking about?
  • Annoyance: Fine! Be that way.
  • Silence or becoming more direct.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After hearing it:

  • Get straight to the point or provide the requested information honestly.
  • Ask for clarification if genuinely confused (What crap?).
  • Become defensive or end the conversation if feeling unfairly accused.

After saying it:

  • Wait expectantly for the other person to be direct or honest.
  • Reiterate the demand if the person continues to evade.
  • Ask a direct question: So, did you do it or not?

Conversation Starter

  • No. It's a confrontational command used mid-conversation.

Intonation

  • Sharp, commanding tone.
  • Stress usually on Cut and crap. CUT the CRAP.
  • Can be delivered angrily or with firm impatience.

Generation Differences

  • Commonly understood and used across most adult generations. Might sound a bit dated or blunt compared to newer slang but is still effective.

Regional Variations

  • Common in American English.
  • Understood and used in other English-speaking regions (UK, Aus, etc.), though perhaps less frequently than in the US.
That's bullshit
🎲 Screw that