there's more than one way to skin a cat

English

WOTD – 8 May 2022

Etymology

Origin unknown. Other proverbs with the same meaning referencing the killing of animals are also attested, some as early as the 17th century; see, for example, “there are more ways to kill a dog than hanging” (1678), “there is more than one way to kill a cat” (1833), and “more ways of killing a cat than choking her with cream” (1855).

Pronunciation

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Proverb

there's more than one way to skin a cat

1. (originally US) A problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal.

   Synonyms: all roads lead to Rome, (rare) there's more than one way to cook an egg, (rare) there's more than one way to crack an egg, (rare) there's more than one way to peel an orange, (rare) there's more than one way to feed a cat, there's more than one way to fuck a cat

   • 1835 November 11, the New York Transcript, quotee, “Eccentricities of a Mad Man”, in Benj[amin] Kingsbury, Jr., editor, Zion’s Herald, volume VI, number 45, Boston, Mass.: Boston Wesleyan Association, →OCLC, page 180, column 2:

     At any rate, thought I, there's more than one way to skin a cat, as a butcher would say.

   • [1854, Seba Smith, “The Money-diggers and Old Nick”, in ’Way Down East; or, Portraitures of Yankee Life, New York, N.Y.: J[ames] C[ephas] Derby, […]; Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson & Co. […], →OCLC, page 169:

     This is a money digging world of ours; and, as it is said, "there are more ways than one to skin a cat," so are there more ways than one of digging for money. But, in some mode or other, this seems to be the universal occupation of the sons of Adam.]

   • 1889, Mark Twain [pseudonym; Samuel Langhorne Clemens], “The Boss”, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, New York, N.Y.: Charles L. Webster & Company, →OCLC, page 100:

     But then the Church came to the front, with an axe to grind; and she was wise, subtle, and knew more than one way to skin a cat—or a nation; […]

   • 1947 December 8, “Ex Parte Joe Fisher, Relator: Respondent’s Answer to Relator’s Motion for Rehearing”, in Joe J. Fisher, Petitioner, vs. R. C. Pace, Sheriff of Jasper County, Texas: Transcript of Record (Supreme Court of the United States, October Term, 1948; no. 45), Washington, D.C.: Judd & Detweiler, […], folio 90, page 65:

     Relator was, undoubtedly, at this point reminded of the old saying: "There is more than one way to skin a cat"; because he was saying the same thing in different terminology and tied it in with his original statement by saying "as I stated".

   • 2021 January 25, Robin Russell-Jones, “Electric cars are not the only green solution”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian‎^[1], London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 March 2022:

     Nissan has elected to concentrate its European operations in Sunderland, including battery development, precisely because Boris Johnson has brought forward the phase-out date for petrol and diesel vehicles to 2030. […] However, there is more than one way to skin a cat, and cheaper options for ultra-low emitting vehicles are just around the corner.

Usage notes

• There are many variations of the proverb, as indicated by some of the quotations above.

Alternative forms

• there are many ways to skin a cat

Translations

a problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal

• Arabic: هناك أكثر من طريقَة لسلخ القط
• Czech: problém má zpravidla více řešení, všechny cesty vedou do Říma (cs) (literally “all roads lead to Rome”)
• Dutch: alle wegen leiden naar Rome (literally “all roads lead to Rome”)
• Finnish: konstit on monet, konstit on monet sanoi mummo, kun kissalla pöytää pyyhki
• French: il y a plusieurs façons de plumer un canard (literally “there are many methods to pluck a duck”), tous les chemins mènent à Rome (fr) (literally “all roads lead to Rome”)
• German: viele Wege führen nach Rom (literally “many roads lead to Rome”)
• Greek: το καλό το παλικάρι ξέρει κι άλλο μονοπάτι (el) (to kaló to palikári xérei ki állo monopáti)
• Irish: is iomaí bealach le cat a mharú seachas é a thachtadh le him, is iomaí slí chun beithíoch a fheannadh
• Italian: tutte le strade portano a Roma (literally “all roads lead to Rome”)
• Polish: wszystkie drogi prowadzą do Rzymu (pl) (literally “all roads lead to Rome”)
• Portuguese: quem não tem cão caça com gato (pt) (literally “the one who does not own a dog hunts with a cat”)
• Russian: все доро́ги веду́т в Рим (ru) (vse dorógi vedút v Rim, literally “all roads lead to Rome”)
• Scottish Gaelic: tha iomadh dòigh air cù a mharbhadh (literally “there are many ways to kill a dog”)
• Spanish: cada maestrillo tiene su librillo (literally “every teacher has their [own] book”), cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas (literally “every one has their way to kill fleas”)
• Telugu: శతకోటి దరిద్రాలకు అనంతకోటి ఉపాయాలు (te) (śatakōṭi daridrālaku anantakōṭi upāyālu)
• Welsh: mae llawer ffordd i ladd ci heblaw ei grogi (literally “there are many ways to kill a dog without hanging it”), mae mwy nag un ffordd i gael Wil i'w wely (literally “there's more than one way of getting Wil to bed”)
• Yoruba: ọ̀nà kan ò wọjà (literally “it is not one road only that leads to the market”)

See also

• if all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail (has a somewhat opposite meaning)
• TMTOWTDI

Further reading

• “there is more than one way to skin a cat” under “skin, v.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, March 2022.
• “there's more than one way to skin a cat, phrase”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.