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| As Snug As A Bug In A Rug |
Meaning:
Example Sentence:
“Aww, look at her cuddled up, as snug as a bug in a rug.”
Origin:
This phrase has been around for a while. The
original writing of it was in 1769, in David Garrick's celebration of
Shakespeare Garrick's vagary, or, England run mad; with particulars of
the Stratford Jubilee.
It reads:
"If she has the mopus's, I'll have her, as snug as a bug in a rug."
(Mopus being
a slang word for "money," naturally.)
As snug as a bug in a rug started out with a much
different meaning than it has today.
The word “snug” was a nautical term; it was first used as an adjective in the 16th century to describe the trim, neat, compact design of a ship. Shortly after that, snug started to be used as a verb and meant “to lie close" (as in "snugging up/together for warmth or in affection), and the word changed to snuggle in the 17th century.
The word bug was used to talk about bed bugs in the 16th century, and the word rug was used to describe a blanket on a bed in the 17th century.
So back when this saying
came out, it was describing that there were bed bugs alive, happy, and warm in
your bed, and if you slept in that bed... well, they were well fed too…GROSS!
As time went on, the saying changed, and we moved
away from the literal sense of the word bug, to say you look very warm and
comfortable all wrapped up in a blanket.
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