I need a bigger axe.

I've cut the book to 137,000 words. The odds of getting it down to 125,000 are looking slim.

I also re-read the GLs. They say "The usual length for a manuscript is between 75,000 and 125,000 words."

"Usual length." Does that mean there's a little leeway there?

Not that I'm going to stop the revision...but does that mean that, say, 130,000 might be acceptable?