Carpetmonger

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A person who sells carpets or rugs, or one who engages in petty or dishonest commercial dealings
2. A dealer in floor coverings who may conduct business dishonestly or at a low integrity level
3. A trader specializing in carpets and rugs who may operate in a deceptive or unfair manner

Etymology: "Carpetmonger" is a plain compound, built from "carpet" and "monger." The first part, "carpet," came into English from Old French "carpite," a word for a heavy cloth used as a covering, and originally referred to coarse fabric rather than the woven floor coverings we picture today. The second part, "monger," is an Old English word for a dealer or trader, descended from the same root as the verb "to mongst" or to trade, and it survives in compounds like "fishmonger" and "ironmonger." Put together, the two parts describe someone who deals in a particular good. The word is an older compound, and its sense has split in two directions: it can name a plain rug seller, or it can carry the faintly scornful tone that "monger" often takes on, suggesting a person who trades in petty or shady dealings. That second sense is the one that gives the word its bite, since "monger" tends to attach a note of disapproval to whatever it is paired with.