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Rub shoulders with

Idiomatic Phrase
Pronunciation

Understanding ARPABET Pronunciation

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The pronunciation guide uses the ARPABET phonetic system—the same system used in speech recognition and text-to-speech applications.

Vowel Examples:
AE1 = cat, bat
EH1 = bed, head
IY1 = see, me
OW1 = go, boat
UW1 = boot, do
Stress Numbers:
0 = no stress (unstressed)
1 = primary stress (loud)
2 = secondary stress (medium)
Example:
AH0 TH IY1 N AH0
= a-THEE-na (Athena)

The stressed syllable (marked with 1) is pronounced louder and clearer than others.

Quick Definition

To associate socially or professionally with particular people, especially those of higher status; suggests physical proximity leading to social connection, networking, or shared experience.

Detailed Definition
Rub shoulders with means to mix socially, spend time among, or come into close contact with particular people, often those of another class, profession, or status. In poetry, the idiom gives social encounter a bodily nearness. It can describe crowds, literary circles, courts, marketplaces, workplaces, or cities where different lives briefly touch. A poet may use it to explore aspiration, intimacy, inequality, or democratic mingling. The phrase suggests proximity without necessarily implying deep understanding or belonging.
Example
Example in poetry:
A city poem might show beggars rubbing shoulders with bankers at the station gate; In a literary poem, the young writer rubs shoulders with famous poets but keeps his own voice; The phrase means to mix socially with certain people; A poet can use it for class contrast or opportunity.
Additional Notes
Rub shoulders with means associate or mingle with people, often those of higher status or a particular group. The phrase makes social contact bodily and close, suggesting crowds, receptions, streets, courts, or workplaces. In poetry, it can explore class mobility, celebrity, urban life, solidarity, or discomfort in unfamiliar circles. Students should ask whether the contact is genuine fellowship or merely proximity without belonging.
Also Known As
associate
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