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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, this usually means there’s more than one way to achieve something, offering alternatives to traditional methods… but what about that creepy metaphor? Did they mean it literally? And if they did, what did cats ever do to them? 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’s more than one way to skin a cat” traces its roots back to 1678 in England. It is generally understood that there are many ways to achieve a goal and that 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.”
The first recorded use of a similar phrase dates back to 1678. In his book “Collection of English Proverbs”, the English naturalist John Ray wrote: “There are more ways to kill a dog than hanging.”[1]
Although just as horrifying as the modern phrase, it is thought to have originally represented a dog instead of a cat.In 1840, Seba Smith wrote a short story titled “The Money Diggers.” In it she explained: “Just as the saying goes, ‘There’s more than one way to skin a cat,’ so there’s more than one way to dig for money.” From then on, the image of the less lovable cat completely replaced man’s best friend.
In 1855, Charles Kingsley wrote, “There are more ways to kill a cat than suffocating it with cream.” This new approach may have been less bloody, but no less grotesque, although it certainly proved the very point of the idiom by devising new paths that reach the same goal.
In 1889, Mark Twain described the character as “wise, subtle and [she] knew more than one way to skin a cat.” As one of the most prolific and colorful American authors of the 19th century, it’s possible that Twain’s use of the phrase finally sealed the deal as it seems to have been used ever since.[2]
- The term has nothing to do with the movement in gymnastics, which is called “cat barking”. The movement involves gymnasts passing their legs between their hands while hanging from the bar. Although this may mimic the appearance of an animal with its skin hanging down, there is only one way to perform this exercise, signifying no connection to the idiom itself.
- Some people believe that the idiom could refer to [Skin-and-Clean-Catfish|catfish]], which do not have shells and therefore need to be peeled in order to be cooked. However, it is more likely that this is just a regional adaptation of the saying.
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