[Ads-l] Antedating of "Rug Cutting" and "Cut a Rug"

[ADSGarson O'Toole]

Excellent citations, Fred. Here is "cut a rug" and "cut the rug" with
the desired sense on the same day in November 1937.

Date: November 27, 1937
Newspaper: Detroit Tribune: The Leading Negro Weekly of Michigan
Newspaper Location: Detroit, Michigan
Article: East Detroit News
Author: Katie Jones
Quote Page 9, Column 8
Database: GenealogyBank

[Begin excerpt]
Did you want to cut a rug? You should have gone to the society strug
given by the East Detroit Smart Set Social Club. There was a large
crowd but it wasn't so snug. There was dancing, entertainment and
plenty of fun.
[End excerpt]

I do not know the meaning of "strug". You may wish to examine the scan
in GenealogyBank to double-check that word. It is not in the OED.

Date: November 27, 1937
Newspaper: The Billboard
Newspaper Location: Cincinnati, Ohio
Section: Music
Article: Bless You, Sister
Quote Page 21, Column 2
Database: ProQuest

[Begin excerpt]
At the musicians' union benefit show last Monday Joseph N. Weber, AFM
prez, was really "sent" by the hi-de-hoisms of Cab Calloway. Weber and
his party, which included heads of the near-by locals, couldn't
restrain from mugging the melody of Minnie the Moocher at the callings
of Cab. Following night found Calloway cupping his ear to a phonograph
recording where he got the urge to cut the rug from Rosetta Howard and
the Harlem Hamfats asking Is You a Viper?
[End excerpt]

Garson

On Thu, Oct 8, 2026 at 4:57 PM Shapiro, Fred
<00001ac016895344-dmarc-request at listserv.uga.edu> wrote:
>
> rug cutting (OED 1937)  1932 Chicago Defender 19 Mar. 7/7 (Newspapers.com)  We have until Saturday, the 26th, to rest before the next "rug cutting" (dance).
>
> cut a rug (OED 1940)  1939 Birmingham Post 6 Jan. 3/1 (Newspapers.com)  For "10 cents an hour" swing lovers in Birmingham will have opportunity to "cut a rug" aplenty the last two weeks in January.
>
> Fred Shapiro
>
>
>
>
>
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> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

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The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org