elbow room
noun phrase

1 a  room for moving the elbows freely
1 b  adequate space for work or operation
2  free scope

(Merriam-Webster)

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Anyone who flies economy class these days knows how valuable elbow room is, not to mention leg room. As airlines try to cram more seats into their aircraft in an effort to transport more people at less cost, it's passengers who are paying the price.

Elbow room can also be used in a figurative sense to mean having the freedom to do something (The team needs more elbow room if we want them to be creative).

As flexible as the human elbow is, the figurative sense of the word is just as versatile. Here are a few other useful expressions:

- rub elbows = to associate or work closely with someone (He's been know to rub elbows with the rich and famous)

- elbow aside = to push someone out the way, literally or figuratively (I got elbowed aside again in the supermarket check-out line)

- elbow grease = strenuous physical effort (You'll need some elbow grease to get that frying pan clean)

- elbow one's way to the top = to seek success through aggressive behaviour, usually at the expense of others (He's not very popular among his colleagues because he elbowed his way to the top)

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SYNONYMS

breathing space, clearance, freedom, latitude, leeway, license, margin, room, space

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Practice OWAD in a conversation:

"Hey guys move along table, there's hardly any ELBOW ROOM here at the end."