"More than one way to skin a cat" – meaning more than one way to do something. People use idioms to make their speech more impressive. What are other disturbing idioms? Do these idioms inculcate violence in young people insidiously? Why violence or cruelty to animals in idioms is promoted and still remain unnoticed?

The saying must have been coined in days when it was perhaps fashionable to brag about one's indulgence in sadism. Yes, in one way, such sayings send out a subtle, insidious message that "skinning a cat" is "okay" in the cultural context one is embedded in. Getting people - especially writers - to avoid usage of idioms and proverbs that connote cruelty - unless the plot demands it - requires a mass movement that people may launch at places where the writers congregate - such as literary festivals. Hope this helps. read less

There are many versions of this proverb suggesting there are always several ways to do something. The earliest printed citation of this proverbial saying is in a short story by the American humorist Seba Smith - The Money Diggers, 1840: “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”. The author clearly knew this to be a well-known existing proverbial saying. Writers have pointed to its use in the southern states of the US in reference to the catfish, often abbreviated to cat, a fish that is indeed usually skinned in preparing it for eating. However, it looks very much from the multiple versions of the saying, their wide distribution and their age, that this is just a local application of the proverb. The version more than one way to skin a cat seems to have nothing directly to do with the American English term to skin a cat, which is to perform a gymnastic exercise that involves passing the feet and legs between the arms while hanging by the hands from a horizontal bar. That name may have been suggested by the action of turning an animal’s skin inside out as part of the process of removing it from the body. Idioms and proverbs come from the reputation of animals as to their legendary nature. Many originated in farming and animal husbandry - especially similies - with the characteristics of common (especially domesticated) animals. - from traveller's stories. e.g. - He is as stubborn as a mule, dumb / strong as an ox, sly as a fox, timid as a rabbit, brave as a lion ( lion-hearted, ), whale of a tale, slippery as an eel, blind as a bat, busy as a bee read less