Originally posted by Devsman:

Makes sense. Cool thread.

Originally posted by Dobke:

I bet you still hear and/or use this term today.

500 years ago, ships that traveled around the world were very complicated, often having multiple masts, up to four or five on the biggest vessels, containing dozens if not more sails that were operated by an intricate, complex and convoluted system of ropes, knots and pulleys that operated several aspects of a ship. During an intense storm, pulling the wrong ropes could cause severe damage to a ship's mast and sails, and often times "knowing the ropes" was a matter of life and death.

A new sailor would have to quite literally "learn the ropes" when freshly recruited since every ship was uniquely different when it comes to layout, sails, masts and what rope and string did what. This term left the sea back then, going into land and ended up sticking with us 500 years later.



Just a little did you know what kind of post. Hope you have a great Sunday and rest of the weekend.