The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word FLOORING
I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
F
L
O
O
R
I
N
G
More clues leading to the result FLOORING
Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "carpet, say" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case carpet, say = flooring.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does FLOORING mean?
FLOORING verb- To cover or furnish with a floor.
- To strike down or lay level with the floor; to knock down.
- (driving) To accelerate rapidly.
- To silence by a conclusive answer or retort.
- To amaze or greatly surprise.
- To finish or make an end of.
- To set a lower bound.
- A floor.
- A material used to make floors.
- The act of putting one's opponent on the floor; a knockdown.