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Cut the Cheese

This phrase came from a literal source. Some cheeses, like Limburger, are so smelly that even slicing the cheese will cause its odor to diffuse over a broader area.  In other cases, the rind masks the odor of a cheese, but cutting the rind will cause the cheese to release its natural odor. ( source ) Figuratively the phrase means farting because, as the source says so well, like cutting a smelly block cheese, a fart can suddenly cause a smelly odor to broadcast over a wide area.

Cut to the chase

This phrase originated in the US film industry. Read all about it here .  Today it is used to mean "get to the point" with no extra details included. 

Cut Corners

The origin of this saying is based on driving - either horse drawn carriage or motor cars. Read about it here . What it means in broader terms is using shortcuts or cheap material/labor to do/make something.