Name: English Tutor Nick P Proverbs (84) There's more Than One Way to Skin a Cat
Uploaded: 2019-05-16T14:52:25.000Z
Duration: 3 min 5 s
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Hi this is Tutor Nick P and this is Proverbs 84. The proverb today is there's

To-infinitive

more than one way to skin a cat.  Okay. Let's take a look at the note here.

This proverb basically means that there is more than one way to do a particular

job or a particular task. Okay. Let's take a , let's continue here. The earliest

citing,  remember if we say citing, that's the first time they found it or

they were able to find it in history when they searched back for it. So the

earliest citing of this proverb comes from a short story called

\"The Money Diggers.\" Okay. In 1840 by Seba Smith. Here is the quote from the book.

\"There are more ways than one to skin a cat. So there are more ways

than one of digging for money. \" So I guess it was a book where they were digging in

the ground to find money or I don't know maybe gold or whatever it is that they

were searching for. So anyway they were trying to say that there's more ways

than one to do it.  And you might often ask I know I often

thought it was strange one any time I've heard this proverb. Why did they say

to skin a cat you know,  to skin means to cut the skin off an animal.  I know we we

like it back in the 1800s you hear that they used to skin bucks,  you know maybe the

you know we know they skinned minks.  We know that their fur is very,  very

valuable. Why a cat ? We know American Indians you know  used to skin buffalo.

They used to use that for a lot of their clothes and their material. But a cat ?  I

mean did they eat the cat ? Why  are they skinning the cat ?  Was this skins

hair or fur valuable ?  I don't know it just it does seem a little strange when

you think of it , but that's what it means.  Okay. Let's continue. Let's take a look at

some examples of how we might hear it used. All right.  Example number one.  I know

they trained you to do it that way,  but I can show you a shortcut. You know, a

shortcut means an easier way or a faster way. You know there's more than one way

to skin a cat.  Yeah. This could be like a situation it

may be somebody was being trained like in a factory on

an assembly line or something and maybe somebody already trained him a little

bit. And then another guy took over and maybe this new guy you know,  did this job

before he maybe he found an easier way to do it. So yeah,  I know they told

you this way but there's more than one way to skin a cat. You follow this way

this way.  I think is easier so this would be a typical way we might hear it used

or let's look at number two. If this method doesn't work we have a plan B.

Okay. Don't worry there's more than one way to skin a cat yeah maybe we have

other ways that we could try. So that's it there's other ways we could possibly

you know achieve this goal or achieve what you're trying to get. Okay anyway,  I

hope you got it.  I hope it's clear.  Thank you for your time. Bye-bye.