Snug as a Bug In a Rug

About

Snug as a Bug In a Rug is a rhyming idiom that infers coziness. The expression and catchphrase was first used in the 18th century, and over time, it became a common literary expression akin to children's books. In the early 2020s, memes and humorous tweets started to use the catchphrase.

Origin

According to Merriam-Webster,^[1] "snug as a bug in a rug" was likely a part of the common contemporary vernacular in late 18th century Britain. The first time that the phrase appeared in literature was in a quotation from a 1769 play staged by David Garrick (a celebrated Shakespearean British actor) in honor of the Bard.^[1] The quote 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.)

Merriam-Webster^[1] also stated that the word "bug" wasn't in reference to an insect, but rather, the Middle English word "bugge" which meant, "a man of rags in a place where gourds grow guards nothing, so are their gods of wood."

The first tweet to gain over 100 likes that used "Snug as a bug in a rug" was posted by the Twitter^[2] account @SimplyChri5tian on December 23rd, 2011, earning over 220 likes in 12 years. On July 9th, 2014, Twitter^[3] user @lukewaale used the expression in a tweet that gained over 470 likes in nine years (shown below). Around the same time, viral Instagram^[4] posts used the phrase to caption animal photos.

Spread

Going into the late 2010s, the phrase was used more commonly in content that conveyed meme status. For instance, on September 26th, 2016, Twitter^[5] user @katya_zamo tweeted, "'Shook as a crook with his dingaling smashed in a book' is perhaps this generation's 'snug as a bug in a rug,'" earning roughly 1,200 likes in seven years (shown below, left). On December 10th, 2020, the Instagram^[6] page @callforfire posted a meme that used the idiom, gaining roughly 2,100 likes in three years (shown below, right).

Prevalent and viral usage of the idiom in memes predominantly started in late 2021 on Twitter, directly following a tweet from Twitter^[7] user @adoptedhighway that was posted on December 10th, 2021. The tweet received roughly 108,900 likes in a year and a half (shown below, left). Going into 2022, viral usage of the idiom ensued, present in a tweet sent by Twitter^[8] user @culchiephobic on October 9th, 2022, which gained roughly 90,400 likes in five months (shown below, right).

Various Examples

Search Interest

External References