Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(orig. US campus) a lesbian; thus rugmunching, cunnilingus; rugmunch, to perform (lesbian) cunnilingus .

1989		P. Munro Sl. U. 54: carpet-muncher/rug-muncher female homosexual.
1993		G.P. Pelecanos Nick’s Trip 13: [of a lesbian] Occasionally she’d poke her head in the Spot [...] and invariably one of my regulars would boast that he could ‘turn one of those “rug munchers” around’ if he had the chance.
1997		Roger’s Profanisaurus in Viz 87 Dec. n.p.: rug munchers n. See fanny noshers.
2002		L.G Surgeson ‘15 things not to say to a Lesbian’ on Daisy Realm on University of Wales 🌐 14. Do you prefer being called a carpet biter or a rug muncher, I can use both.
2002		Kristen Archive 🌐 Jade gets a teaching job at a local Academy for girls. Lots of ‘rugmunching’ and intrigue.
2002		Muff Guide to London 🌐 No visiting lesbian should miss the opportunity to rub shoulders (and much more!) with London’s rug-munchers in this intimate petit boite.
2006		thelondonpaper 4 Sept. 32: ‘Lesbians!’ he yells. ‘Dykes! Rug-Munchers!’.
2012		A. Prentice ‘The Break’ in Crime Factory: Hard Labour [ebook] And all because of your chivalrous defence of a rug muncher.
2012		J. Fagan Panopticon (2013) 209: I, Tash, will look after treasure and obey my teenage wifey, Isla, and I will never rug-munch another, as long as we both shall live, Amen.

(US black) to have a haircut.

1947

M.H. Boulware Jive and Sl.

a query as to whether a woman's hair is dyed or whether it matches the colour of her pubic hair.

2015

I. Welsh Decent Ride 196: A ginger burd an aw! [...] Cannae wait tae see if the rug matches the curtains.

(US) a small child.

1975		L. Dills CB Slanguage 34: Drape Ape: small child.
2003		(ref. to 1967) D. Wilton posting 5 Feb. on ‘Wordorigins Org’ at Ezboard 🌐 ‘Rug-ape’ is from 1967 and ‘ankle-biter’ from 1963.

(US black) a noisy, festive party where the dancing ‘beats the rug’.

1983

R. Klein Jailhouse Jargon and Street Sl. [unpub. ms.].

see separate entries.

a derog. name for a black person; also as adj.

1970		D. Lebofsky Lex. of Phila. Metropolitan Area n.p.: Jungle bunny, chocolate bunny, burrhead, hardhead, hammerhead, rughead, nightfighter, spearchucker, hatchethead, rooster.
1972		(ref. to 1960s) B. Rodgers Queens’ Vernacular 63: black man [...] rughead (pej, mid ’60s).
1974		(con. 1960s) R. Price Wanderers 161: ‘Greaseball guinea honkywops.’ ‘Rug head.’.
[1976		R. Price Blood Brothers 115: They got these other dudes called the Rastafaries — you ever see them with those big rug heads].
1992		Bentley & Corbett Prison Sl. 56: Rug Head A black person.
1997		(con. 1970s) G. Pelecanos King Suckerman (1998) 100: He’s with some rugheads came to make a buy from Larry.
1998		(con. 1986) G. Pelecanos Sweet Forever 154: Charlie Bronson wreaking righteous havoc on a bunch of rugheads.
2000		Other Side of the Wall: Prisoner’s Dict. July 🌐 Rughead: African-American prisoner.
2001		G. Pelecanos Right As Rain 262: It [i.e. methamphetamine] gives me an edge when I’m dealin’ with those rugheads.
2006		C. Carr Our Town 86: ‘He came all the way from Birmingham, Alabama,’ Larry went on, ‘just to hang those stupid big-lipped rughead wide-eyed bigmouth niggers.’.
2012		G. Pelecanos (con. 1972) What It Was 230: Damn if I know [...] And I bet none of these rugheads know either.

1. (US) an elegant, expensive restaurant, patronized by the wealthy.

1985		N. Pileggi Wiseguy (2001) 50: We’d go to overpriced places with red walls and wall-to-wall carpets – rug joints, we’d call them.
1993		(con. c.1900) I.L. Allen City in Sl. (1995) 70: One mark of a fine place was carpeted floors, which gave rise to rug joint.

2. (US) an upmarket, luxury casino.

1961		J. Scarne Complete Guide to Gambling 222: On December 26, 1946, Benjamin (Bugsy) Siegel opened the Flamingo Casino, the first of Nevada’s plush rug joints.
1968		T. Thackrey Gambling Secrets of Nick The Greek 73: The first ‘rug joint’ in Washington, D.C., was launched by Ed Pendleton in 1832.
1973		B. Hirschfeld Generation of Victors 273: I have rug joints in Vegas.

(US) a Middle Easterner or someone of middle Eastern origins.

1920		R. Lardner Big Town 70: The door was opened by a rug peddler.
1976		L. Block In the Midst of Death 95: [of an Armenian-American] He's gonna try to give the entire department the shaft, that's all he's trying to do. He's gonna help that shitkicker of a rug pedddler expose corruption in high places.

a small child who is still crawling on the carpet.

1969		in Current Sl. IV:3–4 (1970).
1978		A. Maupin Tales of the City (1984) 179: Driving an Audi now and sending a couple of rug rats to the French-American school.
1986		R. Beckett Dinkum Aussie Dict. 44: Rug rat: A small and obnoxious child under two years of age.
1996		K. Lette Mad Cows 53: Well, rug-rat [...] the silver spoon one was born with has somewhat tarnished.
1999		E. Bunker Mr Blue 299: I don’t think the little rug rat is even mine. Kid looks more like her goddamned boyfriend.
2001		S. King Dreamcatcher 353: There’s a little girl out there, about four years old [...] this soldier gave her a candybar, just like she was some starving Kosovar rug-muncher?
2003		(ref. to 1970) D. Wilton posting 5 Feb. on ‘Wordorigins Org’ at Ezboard 🌐 ‘Rugrat’ appears in 1970. It’s US in origin.
2005		A. Lovejoy Acid Alex xiv: All the wives and rugrats.
2019		D. Winslow Border [ebook] Caro and Barrera fought a war with each other back when she was a rug rat.
2021		S.A. Crosby Razorblade Tears 246: An early morning call would catch them all disoriented and scared to death for the rug rat.

see rug cutter n.

asleep, in bed.

1811		Lex. Balatronicum n.p.: The whole gill is safe at rug; the people of the house are fast asleep.
1823		Egan Grose’s Classical Dict. of the Vulgar Tongue.
1859		Matsell Vocabulum 75: Rug Sleep.

see separate entry.

everything is fine, all is safe.

1705		N. Rowe Biter in Dramatic Works (1720) I.i: Fear nothing, Sir; Rug’s the Word, all’s safe .
1846		Swell’s Night Guide 130/1: Rugg, all right and safe.

see separate entry.