witching hour

Meanings

1. Often preceded by the: midnight, when witches and other supernatural beings were thought to be active, and to which bad luck was ascribed; also (generally), the middle of the night, when unfortunate things are thought to be more likely to occur; the dead of night.
2. A time of day, usually in the early evening, when babies and young children are more fretful and likely to cry or fuss.
3. The final hour of trading each month during which certain stock options expire, leading to a higher trading volume and greater price volatility.
4. The hour between 3:00 and 3:59 a.m., associated with demons.

Etymology

From witching (“of or pertaining to witchcraft or sorcery, or to witches or sorcerers”, adjective) + hour. Sense 1 (“midnight”) was popularized by the reference to the “witching time of night” in the play Hamlet (written c. 1599–1602; published 1603) by William Shakespeare (1564–1616): see the quotation.