Meanings
alternative there are many ways to skin a cat
- A problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal.
At any rate, thought I, there's more than one way to skin a cat, as a butcher would say.
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 24 more examples
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.
[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 169But 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; […]
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 100Relator 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".
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 65Nissan 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.
2021 January 25, Robin Russell-Jones, “Electric cars are not the only green solution”, in Katharine Viner, editor, The Guardian, London: Guardian News & Media, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 22 Mar 2022Synonyms: all roads lead to Rome, there's more than one way to cook an egg, there's more than one way to crack an egg, there's more than one way to peel an orange, there's more than one way to feed a cat, there's more than one way to fuck a cat
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbA problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal.
Origin
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).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic هناك أكثر من طريقَة لسلخ القط
- هناك أكثر من طريقَة لسلخ القطa problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Chinese Mandarin 不要在一棵樹上吊死 /不要在一棵树上吊死, 不要在一根籐上吊死 /不要在一根藤上吊死
- 不要在一棵樹上吊死 /不要在一棵树上吊死 (bùyào zài yī kē shù shang diàosǐ)a problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
- 不要在一根籐上吊死 /不要在一根藤上吊死 (bùyào zài yī gēn téng shang diàosǐ)a problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Czech problém má zpravidla více řešení, všechny cesty vedou do Říma
- problém má zpravidla více řešenía problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
- všechny cesty vedou do Římaa problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Dutch alle wegen leiden naar Rome
- alle wegen leiden naar Romea problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Finnish konstit on monet, konstit on monet sanoi mummo, kun kissalla pöytää pyyhki
- konstit on moneta problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
- konstit on monet sanoi mummo, kun kissalla pöytää pyyhkia problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
French il y a plusieurs façons de plumer un canard, tous les chemins mènent à Rome
- il y a plusieurs façons de plumer un canarda problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
- tous les chemins mènent à Romea problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
German viele Wege führen nach Rom
- viele Wege führen nach Roma problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Greek το καλό το παλικάρι ξέρει κι άλλο μονοπάτι
- το καλό το παλικάρι ξέρει κι άλλο μονοπάτι (to kaló to palikári xérei ki állo monopáti)a problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Irish is iomaí bealach le cat a mharú seachas é a thachtadh le him, is iomaí slí chun beithíoch a fheannadh
- is iomaí bealach le cat a mharú seachas é a thachtadh le hima problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
- is iomaí slí chun beithíoch a fheannadha problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Italian tutte le strade portano a Roma
- tutte le strade portano a Romaa problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Polish wszystkie drogi prowadzą do Rzymu
- wszystkie drogi prowadzą do Rzymua problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Portuguese quem não tem cão caça com gato
- quem não tem cão caça com gatoa problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Scottish Gaelic tha iomadh dòigh air cù a mharbhadh
- tha iomadh dòigh air cù a mharbhadha problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Spanish cada maestrillo tiene su librillo, cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgas
- cada maestrillo tiene su librilloa problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
- cada quien tiene su manera de matar pulgasa problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Welsh mae llawer ffordd i ladd ci heblaw ei grogi, mae mwy nag un ffordd i gael Wil i'w wely
- mae llawer ffordd i ladd ci heblaw ei grogia problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
- mae mwy nag un ffordd i gael Wil i'w welya problem generally has more than one solution; there is more than one way to achieve a goal
Cite this entry
there's more than one way to skin a cat. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there's%20more%20than%20one%20way%20to%20skin%20a%20cat
“there's more than one way to skin a cat.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there's%20more%20than%20one%20way%20to%20skin%20a%20cat. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “there's more than one way to skin a cat,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/there's%20more%20than%20one%20way%20to%20skin%20a%20cat.
Source: there's more than one way to skin a cat on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.