hobnob

American  

[hob-nob] / ˈhɒbˌnɒb /

verb (used without object)

hobnobbed, hobnobbing

1. to associate on very friendly terms (usually followed bywith ).

   She often hobnobs with royalty.

2. Archaic. to drink together.

---

noun

1. a friendly, informal chat.

hobnob British  

/ ˈhɒbˌnɒb /

verb

1. to socialize or talk informally

2. obsolete to drink (with)

---

Etymology

Origin of hobnob

First recorded in 1825–30 in the sense “hit or miss; at random”; from the phrase hab or nab literally, “have or have not,” from Middle English habbe or nabbe, Old English habban “to have” + nabbn “not to have” (from ne “not” + habban “to have”)

Example Sentences

He may be spending this week hobnobbing with label executives and artists during a whirlwind of pre-Grammys parties, but behind the scenes the mood is tense.

From The Wall Street Journal

In the 1960s and early ’70s, she is a plucky striver; in later decades, she is another famous author—book tours, awards, hobnobbing with luminaries, Democratic politics, remodeling homes in tony enclaves.

From The Wall Street Journal

Until his 2019 arrest, Buck frequently hobnobbed with powerful politicians, donating about half a million dollars to prominent Democrats.

From Los Angeles Times

Whose “broke and broken” father neglected his family while hobnobbing with wealthy San Francisco families, including the heirs of the Getty oil fortune.

From Los Angeles Times

At the time, Epstein was a money manager and jet-setting financier who, with his girlfriend Maxwell, was hobnobbing with the world's wealthiest from Buckingham Palace to Palm Beach and collecting powerful friends along the way.

From BBC