rub elbows

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rub elbows

/ˌɹʌb ˈɛlˌbəʊ̯z/ UK
/ˌɹʌb ˈɛlˌboʊ̯z/ Canada, US
/ˌɹɐb ˈelˌbəʉ̯z/ Australia
/ˌɹɐb ˈelˌbɐʉ̯z/ New Zealand
/ˌɹʌb ˈɛlˌboz/ Scotland
/ˌɾəb ˈɛlˌboːz/ India

Where it comes from

From rub + elbows, suggesting people standing so close together that their elbows touch.

verb rubs elbows · rubbing elbows · rubbed elbows

US, idiomatic, intransitive To associate closely; to consort, mingle, or socialize. [I]f any of the officers have but mentioned love to my wife, I'll challenge and fight such of them one by one; and if any of the common soldiers have so much as rubbed elbows with her, I'll beat them like dogs from one end of the regiment to the other.
Similar: rub shoulders, hobnob

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MLA

"rub elbows." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/rub%20elbows. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

rub elbows. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/rub%20elbows

Chicago

"rub elbows." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/rub%20elbows.

BibTeX

@misc{rub_elbows_2026,
  title = {rub elbows},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/rub%20elbows},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}