1. Let Marilyn help you get the manuscript published the first time. She knows the ropes and she’ll save you a lot of time and effort.
2. You have to know the ropes if you want to get hired in this city. Employers are looking for people with connections and know-how, not untried youngsters fresh out of college.

Antonym: wet behind the ears. Compare to: learn the ropes; know the ins and outsKnow the ropes is more frequently used to describe knowing the procedures to follow in a given situation (how to do something), whereas ins and outs more often describes the complex and hidden details of a situation.