nut-cutting time

Noun

 * 1) The optimal time to gather nuts before they are seized by other animals or buried in snow.
 * 2)  Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
 * 1)  Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.

Usage notes

 * The association of the word with testicles may limit the use of this idiom in formal settings, regardless of the source of the term.