More than one way to Skin a Cat There are several different ways of reaching the same goal. This American idiom has been in use since the mid-1880s, when removing animals' pelts was more common

than it is today. Each person who skinned an animal had his or her own particular way of doing it. Over the years the saying took on broader meaning, and now it can refer to the many methods of accomplishing goals.

If John's plan fails, try Susan's; there is more than one way to skin a cat.

(From the "Dictionary of Idioms," Marvin Terban, Scholastic Inc., publisher, 1996)