learn the ropes
The phrase "learn the ropes" originates from nautical terminology, where sailors had to learn how to handle ropes to manage sails.
🇺🇸 US Voice:
🇬🇧 UK Voice:
Definition
B2General
(informal)To understand the basic details or fundamentals of how to perform a job or task.
Example
- It took me a few weeks to learn the ropes at my new job.
- Before you can advance, you need to learn the ropes of the current system.
C1Professional
(informal)To become familiar with the procedures and operations of a specific activity or organization.
Example
- New employees spend their first month learning the ropes of the company's workflow.
- Interns are given time to learn the ropes before taking on major projects.
Similar
Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "learn the ropes":
get to grips withwork one's way uplearn to walk before one can runget to knowknow one's way around