To be familiar with a task.
Up until the 20th Century sailing ships had vast numbers of ropes and a crewman would not be effective unless he 'knew all the ropes'.
The first known appearance in print is in Richard Henry Dana's Two Years Before The Mast in 1840, in which he wrote 'the captain, who ....knew the ropes, took the steering oar.'
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The riveting story of the USA's courageous and accomplished WWII female American code breakers.
About the book
The Kennedy Debutante
by Kerri Maher
"An engrossing tale of family, faith and love in the life of one remarkable woman." - Booklist
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Andre Dubus III's First Novel in a Decade
A masterpiece of thrilling tension and heartrending empathy.
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