press the flesh

Idioms  

1. Shake hands and mingle with people, especially when running for public office. For example, The candidate went through the crowd, pressing the flesh. [1920s]

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Example Sentences

Inside the church, as the crowd waits for Logan's casket to arrive, the Roys press the flesh.

From Salon • May 22, 2023

But when canvassers and the candidates themselves press the flesh in the Valley, they encounter an electorate whose leanings don’t always line up with common perceptions.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 2, 2022

When he traveled abroad, however, he was usually eager to press the flesh and talk to the press.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 1, 2022

By genetic luck, the pretend heir to the British throne just had to turn up and press the flesh to collect a paycheck.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 17, 2018

“I cannot hold the shoulder and press the flesh there without making much pain, too much,” stated Valencia, “but it must come out, or there will be trouble.”

From The Treasure Trail A Romance of the Land of Gold and Sunshine by Amick, Robert Wesley