Cutting to what really matters B1
When a debate's going round in circles and you boil it down to the real point.
boil down to B2 — be the main pointA: Why did the project fail?
B: It really boils down to poor planning.
in the grand scheme of things C1 — generalising; putting something in perspectiveA: I can't believe I forgot my umbrella again!
B: Don't worry, in the grand scheme of things, it's just a bit of rain.
come down to B2 — to be the most important aspect of somethingA: Why did you pick that job over the others?
B: Honestly, it just came down to the salary.
Round in circles
Marcus: We've been at this for an hour. What does it actually boil down to?
Sophie: For me it comes down to trust, really. The rest is just detail.
Marcus: Right, so the whole row stems from that falling-out last year.
Sophie: Pretty much. In the grand scheme of things, the rest barely matters.
Why he reacted like that
Leah: He went off the deep end over nothing. Bit of a knee-jerk reaction, if you ask me.
Greg: It probably stems from all the stress at work, to be fair.
Leah: Maybe. But there's a fine line between being honest and just plain rude.
Greg: Agreed. It all comes down to how you say it, not what you say.