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"squeaky-bum time"
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Morten Bo Johansen
Mar 14, 2018, 12:55:32 PM3/14/18
to
Hope this is the right place to ask ...
Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United, according to
Wikipedia, has coined the phrase "squeaky-bum time", referring to the
..."tense final stages of a league competition".
While the overall meaning thus is clear, I can't break the phrase down
to something that makes sense to me: "Squeaky" is a high-pitched sound
and "bum" may have a lot of meanings.
Could someone explain to me how these words get to have this overall
meaning?
Thanks,
Morten
Sir Alex Ferguson, former manager of Manchester United, according to
Wikipedia, has coined the phrase "squeaky-bum time", referring to the
..."tense final stages of a league competition".
While the overall meaning thus is clear, I can't break the phrase down
to something that makes sense to me: "Squeaky" is a high-pitched sound
and "bum" may have a lot of meanings.
Could someone explain to me how these words get to have this overall
meaning?
Thanks,
Morten
Peter Duncanson
Mar 14, 2018, 1:44:43 PM3/14/18
to
On Wed, 14 Mar 2018 17:53:21 +0100, Morten Bo Johansen <m...@spamcop.net>
wrote:
In this case the bum is a person's backside, the buttocks.
I think the idea is than during "tense final stages of a league
competition" the manager of a team will be restless. Assuming that he is
sitting, he will not be sitting calmly but will be moving restlessly on
the seat possibly with sudden uncontrolled movements.
If there is a squeaking sound it will be caused by the rubbing of his
trousers on the surface of the seat he is on. This depends on the
material of his trousers and what the surface of the seat it. It might
also be affected by perspiration.
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in uk.culture.language.english)
wrote:
I think the idea is than during "tense final stages of a league
competition" the manager of a team will be restless. Assuming that he is
sitting, he will not be sitting calmly but will be moving restlessly on
the seat possibly with sudden uncontrolled movements.
If there is a squeaking sound it will be caused by the rubbing of his
trousers on the surface of the seat he is on. This depends on the
material of his trousers and what the surface of the seat it. It might
also be affected by perspiration.
--
Peter Duncanson, UK
(in uk.culture.language.english)
Morten Bo Johansen
Mar 14, 2018, 2:33:42 PM3/14/18
to
On 2018-03-14 Peter Duncanson wrote:
> In this case the bum is a person's backside, the buttocks.
>
> I think the idea is than during "tense final stages of a league
> competition" the manager of a team will be restless. Assuming that he is
> sitting, he will not be sitting calmly but will be moving restlessly on
> the seat possibly with sudden uncontrolled movements.
>
> If there is a squeaking sound it will be caused by the rubbing of his
> trousers on the surface of the seat he is on. This depends on the
> material of his trousers and what the surface of the seat it. It might
> also be affected by perspiration.
It sounds like a very probable explanation, thank you Peter!
> In this case the bum is a person's backside, the buttocks.
>
> I think the idea is than during "tense final stages of a league
> competition" the manager of a team will be restless. Assuming that he is
> sitting, he will not be sitting calmly but will be moving restlessly on
> the seat possibly with sudden uncontrolled movements.
>
> If there is a squeaking sound it will be caused by the rubbing of his
> trousers on the surface of the seat he is on. This depends on the
> material of his trousers and what the surface of the seat it. It might
> also be affected by perspiration.
How one would be able to hear the rubbing of one's own trousers against a
bench in such a usually deafening environment is another matter.
Morten
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