Plus and find out where this popular but morbid phrase comes from
This article was co-authored by wikiHow writer, Ph.D. Bertha Isabel Crombet. Bertha Isabel Crombet received her MA in Creative Writing from Florida International University in 2018. In 2024, she graduated with a PhD in the same field, with a minor in Latin from Florida State University. She was a university professor for almost a decade, teaching courses in English, literature and writing. It has also been published in several genres and literary platforms. A lifelong lover of learning, she now writes for wikiHow with the hope of imparting knowledge to others. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of all quoted facts and confirming the authority of its sources. Find out more…
Despite its creepiness, the phrase “There’s more than one way to skin a cat” is quite popular. With origins dating back to the 17th century, that usually means there’s more than one way to achieve something… but what about that creepy metaphor? If you’re wondering how this morbid term came into the zeitgeist, look no further. This cat is about to come out of the bag.
The expression “There is more than one way to skin a cat” means that there are many ways to achieve a goal and one should not fixate on one method, especially if it does not prove fruitful. There are less morbid alternatives to the phrase, such as: “All roads lead to Rome.”
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Source: HIS Education