Reader question:
What does “learn the ropes” means in this passage: The best way to learn the ropes about politics is to do volunteer work for a candidate for city office. You'll do everything from passing out campaign leaflets to arranging political rallies.
My comments:
If you don’t know the ropes, you’ve got to learn the ropes.
This idiom is said to have originated from seafaring mariners, to whom the skills and knowledge of how to tie knots and which rope hauls up which sail is of, obviously, vital importance – if they want to sail far and be able to weather many a potential storm along the way.
New recruits have to learn them, the ropes, that is. Hence “the ropes or rope” becomes synonymous with the basics or fundamentals if you prefer the big word, of a particular trade or job.
In the above example, it’s suggested, quite correctly, that you learn the best about politics by getting involved. It is the same to say that the best way to learn to swim is to plunge oneself into the water.
Hopefully they reemerge unscathed – and can then declare themselves a swimmer, or one who knows the ropes of swimming (although this is a bit awkward sounding).
Frederich Nietzsche, the German philosopher, once said: We learn the rope of life by untying its knots.
Wise man.
Anyways, here are recent media examples:
1. If I were starting out in journalism today, I’d probably opt to work for a Web-based publication — or start my own — rather than learn the ropes at a newspaper. Because those ropes are becoming increasingly frayed.
- Transitioning to a digital news world, by JD Lasica, December 17, 2009, Socialmedia.biz.
2. Prince William is to fly to New Zealand, on his first overseas trip for the Queen, “to learn the ropes” of being a working member of the Royal Family...
Jamie Lowther-Pinkerton, private secretary to Prince William, confirmed next month’s trip to the most far flung outposts of the Queen’s realm would be the first of many.
“It is a progression. The priority is still his military career as a search and rescue pilot. As he gets older he will do more of it inevitably. It is an instance of Her Majesty seeing an opportunity for her grandsons to learn the ropes,” he said.
- Prince William to ‘learn the ropes’ on first overseas trip for the Queen, December 14, Telegraph.co.uk.
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》PPT课件之七
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》PPT课件之四
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》A Let’s talk PPT课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 3 How Many?》PPT课件之三
2013年人教PEP版三下《Unit 2 My Family》ppt课件1
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 5 Where is my ruler?》PPT课件之四
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 5 Where is my ruler?》PPT课件之十二
2013年人教PEP版三下《Unit 1 Welcome back to school》Eppt课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 3 How many》Lesson 7(1)PPT课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》 Story Time PPT课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》A Let’s learn PPT课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 5 Where is my ruler?》PPT课件之二
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》FLASH 课件之二
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》PPT课件之九
2013年人教PEP版三下《Unit 2 My Family》ppt课件2
2013年人教PEP版三下《Unit 1 Welcome back to school》Bppt课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》PPT课件之三
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 3 How Many?》PPT课件之十二
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》A. Let’s talk PPT课件
PEP三年级下册《Unit 6 A Let’s talk》 PPT课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》PPT课件之二
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 1 Welcome back to school》(第四课时)PPT课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 5 Where is my ruler?》PPT课件之五
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 3 How Many?》PPT课件之一
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 4 Do you like pears》A Let’s learn PPT课件
2013年人教PEP版三下《Revision of Unit 1》ppt课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 6 At the zoo》PPT课件之六
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 5 Where is my ruler?》PPT课件之三
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 6 At the zoo》A Let’s learnlet’s do PPT课件
人教PEP版英语三下《Unit 5 Where is my ruler?》PPT课件之六