Re: Meaning request: Carpet biting

Posted by masakim on November 11, 2001

In Reply to: Re: Meaning request: Carpet biting posted by James Briggs on November 11, 2001

: : No I'm not talking about the sexual conitations.

: : I was watching the history of britain on BBC and the term was used in a description of King Henry.

: The same expression was used to describe Hitler. In his case it's said he used to chew a nearby carpet when he was in one of his frenzies of temper. I guess Henry did the same, except carpets were rare things in his time!

carpet-biter; carpet-biting. One (usually male) who gets into a fearful rage, a visible very angry man; a distressing exhibition of uncontrollable rage: coll. since ca. 1940. Ex the stories of Hitler biting carpets in his insane rages.
From _A Dictionary of Slang and Unconventional English, The Supplement_ (1970) by Eric Partridge