The project has been tied up in political and legal 'knots' for years. [=nothing has happened with the project for years because of political and legal problems]
The mayor 'tied himself in knots' answering a touchy political question. [=he answered it in a confused or unclear way]
She 'knotted' a sweater around her shoulders. [=tied the sleeves of the sweater together around her shoulders]
(..) Thank you. Would you like a drink after takeoff? M-Milk? OLIVER: knots. LARKIN: Check. V-one. Rotate. (jet engines roaring) V-two. Positive rate. (..)2002 Catch Me If You Can