к делу

• БЛИЖЕ К ДЕЛУ{{}}

[Invar; fixed WO]

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1. Also: К ДЕЛУ(!) [usu. indep. sent]

⇒ (used as a prompt, appeal, or command) do not digress, speak relevantly:

- get (come, stick) to the point;

- get (down) to business;

- get (down) to the business at hand;

- to business!;

- get down to brass tacks.

     ♦ "Но к делу, к делу, Маргарита Николаевна. Вы женщина весьма умная и, конечно, уже догадались о том, кто наш хозяин" (Булгаков 9). "But come to the point, Margarita Nikolayevna. You are a very intelligent woman and have naturally guessed who our host is" (9b).

     ♦ [Авдонин:] Побежал я, короче говоря, в контору. Комнату просить. Очень плохо соображал... [Третий коммунист:] Под газом? [Авдонин:] Какой - под газом! Рано утром. [Яблоков:] Ближе к делу, Авдонин (Салынский 1). [А.:]...То put it briefly, I ran to the office to ask for a room. I hardly knew what I was doing. ... [Third communist:] Were you tight? [A.:] I wasn't tight at all. It was early in the morning. [Ya:] Stick to the point, Avdonin (1a).

     ♦ "Теперь к делу: что вам сказала княгиня Лиговская обо мне?" (Лермонтов 1). "Now, to business! What did the old Princess Ligovskoy say to you about me?" (1a).

2. [AdjP; subj-compl with быть (subj: это), usu. pres]

⇒ this is more relevant than what was said before:

- this is more to the point;

- [in limited contexts] now you're talking.

     ♦ [Галя:] Хорошо, если ты хочешь откровенности - пожалуйста: во-первых... [Андрей:] Слушай, нельзя ли прямо - в-десятых! [Галя:] Хорошо! В-двадцать-пятых! [Андрей:] Вот это ближе к делу (Розов 1). [G.:] All right-if you want me to be frank - first... [A.:] Listen, could you make it short and start with "tenthly"! [G.:] All right! Uventy-fifthly!... [A.:] Now you're talking (1a).