knew one's way around
Understood the territory
To know one's way around is to be familiar with a place or subject—to navigate it competently.
Someone who knows their way around a kitchen can cook well.
Someone who knows their way around contract law understands its complexities.
The phrase implies practical experience rather than theoretical knowledge: She really knew her way around the city after living there for years.
- back of one's handDorsal hand surface
- shortcutsQuicker methods or paths
- networkingBuilding professional relationships
- orientationPosition relative to surroundings
- home turfOne's established domain
mastery · proficiency · diplomacy · social graces · landmarks · familiarity · lay of the land · terrain · routes · wayfinding · specialization · insider · expertise · etiquette · streetwise · street smarts · old hand · competence