Within literature on singular thought and reference, acquaintance is one of the ‘orthodox’ ways successful reference is achieved. Generally speaking, an acquaintance theory articulates that there must be some relation existing between subject and object. While the notion has developed significantly since Russell’s articulation of it, today the acquaintance relation is generally described in terms of some sort of causal relation. I argue that a causal view of acquaintance faces some challenges which should make us seek an alternative. In its stead, I propose a rearticulation of Evans’ view of acquaintance which incorporates the notion of skill. In this manner, I argue that this non-causal alternative – which I term Cognitive Acquaintance – is to be preferred.