Larry Ryan: Squeaky bum time for football's word police

At the end of the day, the mysteries of language and sport’s contribution to our everyday dialects remain fascinating. For me.

SQUEEZE YOUR BUM TIME: A glum looking Manchester United bench with manager Sir Alex Ferguson (2nd right) during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Birmingham City and Manchester United at St Andrews on April 10, 2004 in Birmingham, England. Pic:  Stu Forster/Getty Images)

Marty Morrissey’s sphere of influence will never be truly measured. In the dying stages of the Tipperary hurling quarter-final, with Loughmore-Castleiney mounting their customary late comeback against Drom and Inch, Ken Hogan noted, in co-commentary, that it was ‘squeaky bum time now’.

“Thanks for that image, Ken,” noted Marty, as though the expression was entirely new to him and he feared some personal intestinal issues were troubling the Lorrha legend. And sure enough, a matter of weeks later, the folk at Oxford English have added the phrase to the dictionary, lest there be any further confusion. It cannot be a coincidence.