hobnob
/ˈhɑbˌnɑb/
Word Rarity
Very rare
Frequency: 1.82 in modern English
13
Scrabble Score
6
Letters
2
Syllables
4
Unique Chars
Meaning
verb
To associate with in a friendly manner, often with those of a higher class or status; to fraternize.
Derogatory; Intransitive verb
adj
On friendly terms; in friendly association.
Example Sentences
- "With a hob-nob, and a merry go-round, / We'll pull in ere reason fail; / For the stoutest man in the kingdom found, / Must knock under to humming ale."
- "A prologue of cherry bounce,—brandy,—preceded the entertainment, which was enlivened by hob-nobs and joyous toasts."
- "The three friends had a hobnob outside the bar."
- "The American people are largely under the influence of animal magnetism. Whether they are drawn to the levée of a Tom Thumb or to a hobnob with the Russians, the safety-valves of their joyous feelings are sure to be opened when the Stars and Stripes flaunt over their churches, public buildings, and private dwellings."
- "[T]he musical and dramatic critiques in our daily papers are dishonest, shameful, utterly unworthy, and a scandal to journalism and Ireland! Praise is lavishly dispensed because the system pays, […] 'A full house' on Saturday will procure a longer advertisement on Monday morning, another 'free pass' all round, and a hobnob perhaps with Signor, Senora, Herr Bugle, Madame, or Madamoiselle."
- "Many a glass of wine have we all of us drank, I have very little doubt, hob-and-nobbing with the hospitable giver, and wondering how the deuce he paid for it."
Etymology
From hob and nob, hob or nob (“a phrase spoken when making a toast, possibly meaning ‘give and take’; to take turns toasting or buying rounds of drinks”) (archaic), from dialectal hab nab (“to have or have not, in the sense of an invitation to have a drink”), from Old English habban (“to have, possess”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kap- (“to grab, seize”)) + nabban (“to not have”) (from ne (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *né (“not”)) + habban).
Origin
- Source language: Old English
Word Breakdown
Regional Pronunciation
- American English: /ˈhɑbˌnɑb/
- British English: /ˈhɒbnɒb/