ninth

The final and critical moment or moments of a tense, important, or desperate situation. A reference to the ninth inning of baseball, the "bottom" of which is batted by the home team as their last chance to win the game. Primarily heard in US. It came down to the bottom of the ninth, but I managed to finish my report in time for the big meeting. All right, this is it—the bottom of the ninth. Ready to take your driver's test? I'm impressed you managed to woo that client back in the bottom of the ninth! The boss will be thrilled.

Used to describe something or some place one considers to be utterly vile or torturous. It alludes to the misery and anguish experienced in the nine levels of hell as described by Dante Alighieri in his epic poem Inferno. The entire trade negotiation process has devolved into the fifth circle of hell, as politicians and lobbyists flail about in a sea of red tape while trying to gain some advantage over one another. This part of the country becomes the ninth circle of hell in the winter—a barren, frozen wasteland. A: "What circle of hell have we entered today, day three of auditions for the school play?" B: "It probably depends on how many off-key renditions of 'My Favorite Things' we have to sit through."