hard eight
n.— «Many kids programming networks are virtually sold out for the crucial holiday season, in particular for what is known as the “hard eight,” the eight weeks leading up to Christmas. “For fourth quarter, we are definitely sold out,” said Barbara Bekkedahl, exec VP-advertising sales for Fox Family Worldwide.» —“Kids TV market sees unexpected 4th quarter jump” by Wayne Friedman Advertising Age (2) Oct. 30, 2000. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
The words tough, through, and dough all end in O-U-G-H. So why don’t they rhyme? A lively new book addresses the many quirks of English by explaining the history of words and phrases. And: have you ever been in a situation where a group makes...
Aubrey in Waco, Texas, says her mother used to warn the kids against contracting honkus of the bonkus, a fanciful name for a contagious disease. This colloquial term probably comes from the words bonk and konk, meaning “to hit” or...