The "Kipper Season" is a piece of traditional London slang used by taxi drivers (cabbies) to describe the quiet period in January and February. Following the heavy spending and busy social calendar of Christmas and New Year's Eve, consumer spending drops significantly, and the number of people taking taxis plummets. The name comes from the idea that during these lean months, cabbies were so short on money that they could only afford to eat kippers (smoked herrings), which were historically a very cheap and humble meal. The term has also been used in the entertainment and theatrical industries to describe a time when work is scarce. For a London cabbie, surviving the "Kipper Season" is a rite of passage, often requiring long hours behind the wheel ("copper-bottoming") just to break even. It represents the cyclical nature of the gig economy long before that term existed, highlighting the financial belt-tightening that occurs after the festive rush.