Refers to knowledge or skills passed on when very young, indicating deeply ingrained learning. He learned the family business at his mother's knee.
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Emotional Bond
Implies a nurturing relationship and a close emotional bond during learning. The ethics of hard work were taught at his mother's knee.
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Idiomatic Usage
It's a figurative phrase not to be taken literally, but understood as learning from family from a young age. She learned her storytelling skills at her mother's knee.