Alex Ferguson's 'Squeaky bum time' among new words and phrases added to Oxford Dictionary

Sir Alex Ferguson’s famous “squeaky bum time” phrase has been added to the new version of the Oxford English Dictionary.

First used by the legendary former Manchester United and Aberdeen manager in 2003 it has been explained by the dictionary as “a reference to the sound of someone shifting restlessly on plastic seating during tense closing stages of a contest”.

Ferguson used the term to describe the latter stages of the football season when at least two teams are still going for the title.

The phrase is among several new words and phrases that have been added to the OED for 2022.

Other terms added that will be recognised by football fans include “rabona”, “Cruyff turn” “false number 9” and “parking the bus”.

Panenka, meaning a chipped penalty and named after Czech player who used the move to score the winning goal in Euro 76, has also been included.

Other new words and terms to be used include “influencer”, meaning a well-known or prominent person who uses the internet or social media to promote or generate interest in products – often for payment, “energy poverty”, meaning the condition of being unable to afford or obtain sufficient energy resources to fulfil the basic needs of a household or population, and side hustle, meaning a part-time job or occupation undertaken in addition to one’s main job in order to earn extra income.

The OED released the new entries, which have been “created as part of a wide-ranging revision process”, on their website.