know the ropes

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know the ropes

verb knows the ropes · knowing the ropes · knew the ropes · known the ropes

To have experience of the appropriate procedures; know how a particular task or job should be done (with reference to ropes used in sailing). A traveller from Pontypridd to Llantrisant, not knowing the ropes, would naturally travel to the station of that name, only to find himself at Pont-y-Clun, two miles distant, and probably would not be at all soothed to discover that, had he alighted at the previous station (known as Cross Inn), he w

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MLA

"know the ropes." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/know%20the%20ropes. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

know the ropes. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/know%20the%20ropes

Chicago

"know the ropes." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/know%20the%20ropes.

BibTeX

@misc{know_the_ropes_2026,
  title = {know the ropes},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/know%20the%20ropes},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}