Etymology

squeaky bum time

Today it means: Chiefly, an exciting part of a sporting event, particularly the final moments of a close game or season. Full definition →

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The story

Attributed to Sir Alex Ferguson, famed Scottish association football manager and former player, it implies the sound made by moving around in a plastic seat while squirming under pressure. Ferguson had said "squeeze your bum time" (that is, clenching one's buttocks under pressure) but it was misheard by journalist Kevin McCarra and the misquote stuck.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.