English Idiom: Rub elbows/shoulders
Sometimes your kooky boss, who is also a fantastic hand at the BBQ, may hold an event and offer everyone a great chance to rub shoulders.
We have all heard about the importance of networking and exchanging business cards etc. Well, when we network or socialize, we are rubbing elbows/shoulders with people.
Talking and forming relationships with each other at social events such as gallery openings, sporting events and, yes, company BBQs is critical.
Often people are near one another when they network, and their elbows or shoulders may occasionally touch or rub against each other. That’s where the idiom comes from.
Quite often in business, it is not what you know, but who you know that enables you to get a promotion or make a big sale.