squeaky bum time

noun

Chiefly, an exciting part of a sporting event, particularly the final moments of a close game or season.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

nounsqueaky bum time (uncountable)
  1. UKinformaluncountableChiefly, an exciting part of a sporting event, particularly the final moments of a close game or season.

    "It's getting tickly now - squeaky-bum time, I call it."

    2003 March 18, “Fergie just can't stop playing his mind games”, in Daily Express, page 62

Origin

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.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Finnish jännittävät hetket
  • jännittävät hetketexciting part of a sport event
Cite this entry
APA

squeaky bum time. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squeaky%20bum%20time

MLA

“squeaky bum time.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squeaky%20bum%20time. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “squeaky bum time,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/squeaky%20bum%20time.

Source: squeaky bum time on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.