Her positive attitude 'rubbed off' on other people. [=other people began to have a positive attitude from being around her]
We 'rubbed' the steaks with spices before we grilled them. = We 'rubbed' spices onto the steaks before we grilled them.
It's bad enough that he beat me, but the way he keeps talking about it is just 'rubbing salt in the wound'.
(..) He was a country boy. She was from the city. She had the world at her feet, while he didn't have two dimes to rub together. Noah, come on. Whoo! Look at us. What are we doing? Do you think in another life, (..)2004 The Notebook