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Hobnob and Shakespeare
In William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night, Sir Toby Belch warned Viola (who was disguised as a man) that Sir Andrew wanted to duel. "Hob, nob is his word," said Sir Toby, using "hob, nob" to mean something like "hit or miss." Sir Toby's term is probably an alteration of "hab nab," a phrase that meant "to have or not have, however it may turn out." After Shakespeare's day, hob and nob were used in the phrases "to drink hob or nob" and "to drink hobnob," which meant "to drink alternately to each other." Since "drinking hobnob" was generally done among friends, hobnob came to refer to congenial social interaction.
Examples of hobnob in a Sentence
Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 16 Apr. 2025
There were other bands playing loudly a few yards to either side of her on the East Austin bar’s outside stages, and the inside room was maybe half-full of hobnobbing festival people.
—Stephen Thomas Erlewine, Rolling Stone, 13 Mar. 2025
Some hit the carpet, others met up and canoodled inside the party, but quite a few were invited to enjoy good food and hobnobbing with the industry’s who’s who.
—Victoria Uwumarogie, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025
Throughout the festivities, the A-list celebrities made the rounds and hobnobbed with friends in the massive white tent.
—Paul Chi, Vogue, 23 Feb. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Hobnob.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hobnob. Accessed 9 May. 2025.
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hobnob
verb
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