The phrase “to rub someone the wrong way” is commonly used today to mean “to irritate someone” or “to act in a manner that annoys or angers someone.” It actually dates back to the colonial era in America. Well-to-do families would construct opulent homes, complete with high-end wooden floors. The floorboards were made of expensive oak, and they needed to be cleaned in a very careful manner. Sometimes, when the maids scrubbed the floors, they wouldn’t follow the process outlined to them by their mistresses, and this would leave permanent ugly marks on the floors. This would annoy the mistresses, and it would often invite serious punishment. 

The phrase, “to rub the wrong way” started out in reference to wood floors, but over time, its origin was forgotten, and it became purely metaphorical.