Friday Focus: To Learn the Ropes

From Sailing Ships to Office Desks

Using a visual history is a great memory aid to help you remember new English phrases. When you can see the “why” behind a phrase, it is much easier to keep in your mind. The phrase “to learn the ropes” comes from the history of old sailing ships.

In the past, sailing ships were very complicated. They had many different sails and hundreds of ropes. A new sailor had to learn exactly which rope controlled which sail. If they didn’t learn the ropes, they couldn’t help move the ship.

This is a perfect way to describe a modern job. Just like an old sailor, a new employee today must learn the “ropes” of office software, filing systems, and company rules to help the “ship” (the company) move forward. Now that we know where the phrase comes from, let’s look at how to use it in your daily work life.