Talk:learn the ropes

Source

For discussion of the source for this term, see User talk:Anachronist#Sourcing and User talk:Connel MacKenzie/archive-2006-10#Plagiarism? -Anachronist 22:21, 20 January 2009 (UTC)

Why is it ropes instead or lines or rigging? DCDuring TALK 01:43, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

I took a stab at making it more wiktionary-ish. I added some guesswork, which needs support. The phrase is not so much used nautically any more, though I need to check with my Merchant Marine instructor neighbor on this. DCDuring TALK 02:22, 21 January 2009 (UTC)

Be careful with guessing at etymology. The source I cited in the discussions above clearly refers to "principal ropes", not "heavy ropes and cables" the way you changed it. I'll revert back and add the citation. The government document number will have to wait (I no longer have a copy of the document, only my earier notes stating the title, author, and date).

It's true the phrase isn't used in a nautical context anymore. The point of this entry is to emphasize that the etymology is nautical, and that the original meaning of the term is the reverse of modern meaning. Anachronist 17:22, 21 January 2009 (UTC)