At the time, the Packers thought Switzer was merely rubbing their faces in yet another humiliating loss to the Cowboys, their seventh straight at Texas Stadium.

If you are merely rubbing your vanity to relieve a soreness, please defer it.

Data raised his pet, who merely rubbed herself against Picard's leg.

Lestat merely rubbed his hands.

A fine victory for Northampton, but in a way it merely rubbed salt into their self-inflicted wounds.

(Actually, it turns out the Inuit were not merely rubbing noses, they were smelling each other's cheeks).

Donna was merely rubbing my shoulders.

The man put out a hand and Kevin flinched, but the man merely rubbed him gently on the shoulder.

The fact the hosts did not even have to call on their usual first-choice goalkicker, Ian Humphreys, who was nursing a sore hamstring, merely rubbed salt in East Midlands' wounds.

The air of the place was a sublime intoxication, and yet its enchantment merely rubbed into our souls the shame of our wretched physical condition.