A Dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

1854 S. SMITH ‘Way down East viii. 166 This is a money digging world of ours and,

as it is said, ‘there are more ways than one to skin a cat,’ so there are more ways than one

of digging for money. 1918 W. FAULKNER Letter 17 Oct. in J. G. Watson Thinking of

Home (1992) So you see, there is more than one way to skin a cat. 2001 K. TOPPING

Slayer (rev. ed.) 232 The Mayor [in a 1999 episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer] knows

that the statement ‘There’s more than one way to skin a cat’ is factually accurate. ways

and means

way see also the LONGEST way round is the shortest way home; LOVE will find a way;
OTHER times, other manners; STRAWS tell which way the wind blows; a WILFUL man must
have his way; where there’s a WILL there’s a way.

There are more WAYS of killing a cat than choking it with cream

See also the following two entries and there is more than one WAY to skin a cat.

1839 S. SMITH John Smith’s Letters 91 There’s more ways to kill a cat than one.

1855 C. KINGSLEY Westward Ho! II. xii. Hold on yet awhile. More ways of killing a cat

than choking her with cream. 1941 ‘R. WEST’ Black Lamb I. 506 Now I see the truth of

the old saying that there are more ways of killing a cat than choking it with cream. In

Bosnia the Slavs did choke the Turk with cream, they glutted him with their wholesale

conversions. .. But here cream just did not come into the question. 1974 T. SHARPE

Porterhouse Blue ii. I have yet to meet a liberal who can withstand the attrition of

prolonged discussion of the inessentials. .. There are more ways of killing a cat than

stuffing it with.. ways and means

There are more WAYS of killing a dog than choking it with butter

See also the adjacent entries.

1845 W. T. THOMPSON Chronicles of Pineville 35 There’s more ways to kill a dog

besides choking him with butter. 1945 F. THOMPSON Lark Rise xvi. A proverb always

had to be capped. No one could say, ‘There’s more ways of killing a dog than hanging it’

without being reminded, ‘nor of choking it with a pound of fresh butter.’ 1955 W. C.

MACDONALD Destination, Danger x. It [liquor] was a life-saver and I’m much obliged.

But you can kill a dog without choking him with butter. ways and means

There are more WAYS of killing a dog than hanging it