Understanding the History Behind “Cut a Rug”
The slang expression “to cut a rug” first came out in the 1920’s as a means to describe dancing. The lingo’s popularity remained until the 1940s before fading into obscurity. Luckily, the expression was kept alive by writers who have set their stories in that era and incorporated it into their description of their characters’ dancing. “Cut a rug” saw a short stint back to the spotlight during the latter part of the 1990s.
Using “to cut a rug” to mean that a person is dancing has been contested heavily, as is often the case of most slang expressions. Numerous theories have been floated on how the expression came into being but so far, not one theory has been proven conclusive. This is not uncommon with slang expressions as it’s in the nature of these terms to be invented overnight and immediately become popular. This is why slang expressions are fun and challenging to study, especially if you have a healthy interest in the origins of a language. There are numerous sayings that make one really curious about where the expression came from and “cut a rug” is one expression that makes the cut, so to speak.
Some linguists think that the expression is reminiscent of how worn a carpet would look like when someone has danced on it regularly. A variety of the expression is “cut a mean rug” which is a title bestowed to someone who dances really well. It’s quite complimentary and when you think about it, a worn carpet does show minute slits that look like cuts. So it’s not farfetched that copious dancing will wear out a carpet to the extent that slits will show up.
Another likely explanation is actually backed by history. Some believe the expression came about when carpets were rolled and furniture moved whenever a dance party spontaneously happens. This holds true especially during the Prohibition era of the 1920s when clubs were forced to find ways to hide their activities from the times’ guardians of morality. The carpets weren’t literally cut from the floor per se, but they might have been removed to minimize being worn out from the dancing.
Even though we may never really know how the expression came about and why it became a symbol of dancing, the expression is undeniably delightful. The era it came out in saw the advent of energetic and intense dances. The more conservative dancers of the time might have even fueled the idea of carpets and rugs being worn down to the ground by rebellious and vigorous youngsters dancing. And in typical rebellious fashion, "cut a rug" might have even been eagerly embraced by the youth to differentiate their style from the older ones. It makes total sense especially when you consider that modern dances really can wear down a carpet, while conservative dances like the waltz would never be thought of as having the same type of energy.