Cut to the chase means to stop spending so much time on details or unimportant material.

VOA: special.2010.07.25

As time passed, the area filled with material left by rivers.

VOA: special.2009.04.15

"He was young and I had a very good time drawing his picture because I used a lot of reference material that were paintings made of him at different times in his life.

VOA: special.2009.02.27