Meaning request: Carpet biting
Posted by Masakim on November 11, 2001
In Reply to: 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
by Eric Partridge