Green’s Dictionary of Slang

to lose emotional control, to suffer a temper tantrum.

1939		J. Dickson Carr Reader Is Warned n.p.: ‘Steady on!’ advised Dr Sanders, in genuine concern. ‘You'll have him chewing the carpet in a minute’.
1957		J.D. MacDonald Price of Murder (1978) 91: The first major setback in your whole life [...] Did you chew up the carpets and run around the walls?
1966		(con. WWII) L. Cameron Dirty War of Sergeant Slade (1967) 119: The guy would be chewing the carpet before he found out who the big-shot collaborator was.
2000		N. Griffiths Grits 92: Av bin cookin up me old cottons fer three fuckin deys, eatin-a fuckin carpets mun, goin off me fuckin trolley.
2005		Guardian G2 24 Aug. 7: Hitler wasn’t a carpet-chewing madman, at least not until the end.