Transfer entire directory in FTP command-line?

[lunkman]

Squandering time at work, I was trying to move some files from an FTP server to my computer via Terminal. I began to realize that it is either impossible or more difficult than I'd imagined to get or put a whole folder on the site (entering many individual names for multiple files in large folders -- mget-- seems too labor intensive). "Get" commands used with directory names as arguments return a "no such file or directory" message. Very confusing. Am I missing something or is this a real limitation of command-line FTP?