to know all the ways and means to get something done
to understand the nuances of how something should be done
the acquaintance of all possible means is said to know the ropes
She has been working here for 30 years and knows the ropes to getting anything done.
When the captain arrived at dock he worked so smoothly that it was clear he knows the ropes. The loading in the ship was suddenly completed in no time.
He knows the ropes of the circus since he has been here his entire life.
There is no origin for this idiom
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definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.