on the carpet (antedating 1694); to be carpeted in a French-English dictionary

[Garson O'Toole]

Thanks to Neal Whitman for an excellent article about calling someone
on the carpet.

(OED 1989) Carpet n. 1. b. on the carpet (i.e. of the council table):
under consideration or discussion [cf. F. sur le tapis.] Also colloq.
(orig. U.S.) (with admixture of sense 2a): undergoing, or summoned to
receive, a reprimand. Cf. sense 2d and MAT  n.1

The earliest cite given for this sense of "on the carpet" is dated
1726. Here is the phrase in 1694.

Context: A husband and wife fight about whether a dozen birds should
be called Blackbirds or Thrushes. The same question is raised one year
later.

Cite: 1694, Fables of Aesop and Other Eminents Mythologists, by Sir
Roger L'Estrange, Second edition, Printed for R. Sare, B. Took, M.
Gillyflower, and others, London.

And then came the History of the Blackbirds and the Thrushes upon the
Carpet again. Ah ye Beast you, says the Woman, how did you beat your
Poor Wife Sirrah, this day Twelve Month about those Damn'd Thrushes.

http://books.google.com/books?id=PmeVqZaojKAC&q=carpet#v=snippet&


Being carpeted is used in a way that is similar to being called on the carpet.

(OED 1989) carpet, v. 4. colloq. To call (a servant) into the parlour,
etc., to be reprimanded; to reprimand, ‘call over the coals’. (Cf.
CARPET  n. 2d.)

The first cite is 1840.
1840 H. COCKTON Val. Vox xli, They had done nothing! Why were they carpeted?

The following 1845 cite in a French-English dictionary mentions
lecturing a servant in a parlour, but it does not say explicitly that
the parlour has carpet.

Cite: 1845, The Royal Phraseological English-French, French-English
Dictionary by John Charles Tarver, To Carpet, Page 103, Dulau & Co.,
London.

To CARPET, v. a. couvrir d'un tapis-mettre un tapis.
Carpeted with grass, couvert d'un tapis de verdure. (Fam.
of a man who has been lectured by his master in his own
parlour.) To be carpeted, recevoir une semonce. Carpet
walk, pelouse. f. tapis de verdure, m.

(Follow the link below to see the original and avoid my errors in
transcription.)

http://books.google.com/books?id=JKwMAAAAYAAJ&q=carpeted#v=snippet&

Garson

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