Hypothesize that in the phrase "eight to the bar", the "bar" is a dance bar of 8 beats, and not a musical bar of typically 4 beats. (The 8 counts to a bar is why dancers count off 5 6 7 8 at the beginning while musicians count off 1 2 3 4, or "ah 1, ah 2, ah 1 2 3 4".)
If a dancer asks for 8 to the bar, e.g., "Beat me daddy, eight to the bar" (Andrews Sisters), then the dancer is asking for 8 strong beats to the dance bar, so a strong beat on every quarter note. This contrasts to just 4 strong beats in a dance bar, a strong beat on every half note. This distinction is the same as the "4 feel" and "2 feel" known to jazz drummers and rhythm sections.
A 4 feel is famously the style of swing music, with the bassist playing a note on every beat, often a walking bass line. A 2 feel is famously the style of blues and rock 'n' roll. (There are of course, many exceptions.) A dancer asking for 8 to the means asking for a swing song as opposed to a blues or rock song.
This YouTube video, at 2'25", illustrates the difference between 2 feel and 4 feel.
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