Wiktionary
nut-cutting time
n. 1 Time to gather nuts before they are taken by other animals or buried in snow. 2 (context idiomatic English) Time to exert maximum effort, for example, due to an approaching deadline or a looming competitive situation.
Usage examples of "nut-cutting time".
So Nixon is not without options, when it comes down to nut-cutting time.
We are down to nut-cutting time, and millions of people are angry.