noun phrase🎓 English idiom

ins and outs

detailed practical knowledge of something

What it means

The ins and outs of something are all its small details and quirks — the practical knowledge you only pick up by working with it directly. It usually implies a kind of insider familiarity that goes beyond what's written in a manual.

Examples

  • It took me months to learn the ins and outs of the new software.
  • She knows the ins and outs of the local property market.
  • Ask James — he understands the ins and outs of office politics here.
  • The course covers the ins and outs of starting a small business.

Where it comes from

Originally referring to the turns and twists of a winding path or building (in use since the 1600s), the phrase later took on the figurative meaning of all the intricate details of a subject.

Related idioms

#bits and pieces#odds and ends#give and take#by and large

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