THE ROPES

{n. plural}, {informal} Thorough or special knowledge of a job; how to do something; the ways of people or the world. * /On a newspaper a cub reporter learns his job from an older reporter who knows the ropes./ * /When you go to a new school it takes a while to learn the ropes./ * /Betty showed Jane the ropes when she was learning to make a dress./ * /Mr. Jones was an orphan and he had to learn the ropes when he was young to make his way in the world./ Compare: BE AROUND, INS AND OUTS, TRICK OF THE TRADE.