Where does the expression "there's more than one way to skin a cat" origniate?

Answer 1

Here's one belief:

The expression "to skin the cat" refers to a boy's gymnastic trick: "In America, as any country boy knows, this means to hang by the hands from a branch or bar, draw the legs up through the arms and over the branch, and pull oneself up into a sitting position.

Here's another:

There's more than one way to skin a cat - There is more than one way to accomplish a task.

The reference is to preparing a catfish (named as such because of its long whiskers) for cooking, which must be skinned because the skin is tough.

Answer 2

There are several versions of this saying, which suggests that there are always several ways to do something. Charles Kingsley used one old British form in Westward Ho! in 1855: “there are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream”. Other versions include “there are more ways of killing a dog than hanging him”, “there are more ways of killing a cat than by choking it with butter”, and “there are more ways of killing a dog than choking him with pudding”.

Mark Twain used your version in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court in 1889: “she was wise, subtle, and knew more than one way to skin a cat”, that is, more than one way to get what she wanted. An earlier appearance is in ’Way down East; or, Portraitures of Yankee Life by Seba Smith of about 1854: “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”. From the way he writes, the author clearly knew this to be a well-known existing proverbial saying. In fact, it is first recorded in John Ray’s collection of English proverbs as far back as 1678.

I am not sure the above answer is the one you're looking for, anyway, hope it helps in some way.

Answer 3

Don't know how long the expression has been around, but bull-dozer operators are referred to as "cat skinners", just as mule team drivers were called "mule skinners." This may be an alternative answer.

Answer 4

Don't know the Answer but since they eat cat over seas I don't think I want to know LOL

Answer 5

Not from a cat I'm guessing

Answer 6

I'm guessing it comes from the Chinese lol

Answer 7

catfish