Idiom: Rug rat – a small child

 

Context #1 – Kindergarten

Barry: My group of rug rats has too much energy today.
Donnie: Perhaps they had too much sugar to eat
this morning.  Maybe give them a couple
of extra minutes of recess to burn the energy out.
Barry: That’s not a bad idea.
Donnie: Yeah, otherwise the rug rats will tire your patience out.



Context #2 – Two friends talking about their new
kids

Henry:My new baby cries all night.
Marie:Yeah, they’ll do that. They just need mom and dad’s attention to
feel comfortable. 
Henry: I’m sure that in five months, these
little rug rats will have different
needs. Marie: Yeah, rug rats
always need something new.

Meaning: “Rug rats” means a child.  People have rugs at home and as children
begin to crawl, they resemble a small animal crawling on the rug. It’s just a “cute” slang name to describe a
small child.