COMMON If you rub shoulders with someone important or famous, you spend time with them. Johnson had always loved rubbing shoulders with celebrities. Working on a ship can mean seeing the world, rubbing shoulders with the rich and famous and partying every night. Note: You can also say that two groups of people rub shoulders. While there may be fewer poor people, the rich are also more visible, and in the cities the two rub shoulders. Note: The usual American expression is rub elbows with someone.