Ever heard of the phrase, "There's more than one way to skin a cat?" It's really a pretty gruesome saying when you think about it, although how many of us have actually thought about it? Truth be told, we all know what it means, literally, but we likely don't connect the phrase to its literally meaning...
This item is available in full to subscribers.
To continue reading, you will need to either log in to your subscriber account, below, or purchase a new subscription.
Please log in to continue |
Ever heard of the phrase, "There's more than one way to skin a cat?"
It's really a pretty gruesome saying when you think about it, although how many of us have actually thought about it? Truth be told, we all know what it means, literally, but we likely don't connect the phrase to its literally meaning.
I never had.
Innocently, as I was trying to describe how I feel about my new job, its pros and cons, and my goals, that phrase came to mind. But then I got tripped up because I thought it sounded gross ... I started to second guess myself and debated about whether I should say it much less write it.
Being the over-thinker and analyzer that I am, rather than just find another phrase to describe how I feel about the challenges within my new position I decided to Google the phrase "more than one way to skin a cat."
Here's an excerpt I found about the phrase's origins:
There are many versions of this proverb, which suggests there are always several ways to do something. The earliest printed citation of this proverbial saying that I can find is in a short story by the American humorist Seba Smith - The Money Diggers, 1840:
"There are more ways than one to skin a cat," so are there more ways than one of digging for money. 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 cat than by choking it with butter", and "there are more ways of killing a dog than choking him with pudding". The earliest version appears as far back as 1678, in the second edition of John Ray's collection of English proverbs, in which he gives it as "there are more ways to kill a dog than hanging".
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.
Writers have pointed to its use in the southern states of the US in reference to the catfish, often abbreviated to cat, a fish that is indeed usually skinned in preparing it for eating. However, it looks very much from the multiple versions of the saying, their wide distribution and their age, that this is just a local application of the proverb.
The version more than one way to skin a cat seems to have nothing directly to do with the American English term to skin a cat, which is to perform a gymnastic exercise that involves passing the feet and legs between the arms while hanging by the hands from a horizontal bar. That name may have been suggested by the action of turning an animal's skin inside out as part of the process of removing it from the body.
Other forms of end that have been employed (and sometimes of a dog rather than a cat) are hanging, choking with butter and choking with pudding.
So, you see, we learn something new every day. If I hadn't questioned whether the phrase was appropriate or not for the newspaper and my audience I, a lover of words and people and human nature, might have missed out on the origins of the phrase.
Though, like many of the phrases and sadly words we use regularly, too many of us use them without fully knowing their meaning.
As I explore my new role in the workforce I become more and more aware of learning opportunities each and every day. I have been having a blast in my new role as the director of advancement for FAST.
What I'm learning is plentiful and far too much to cover in one column. But what's most interesting to me is something about my job I hadn't thought much about prior to getting into it.
I feel like I am virtually dealing with the same people, in the same office building (Shelbyville, in this case), with the same general goal in mind.
Generally, my job as a writer and editor has always come with the task of doing some kind of good for someone or many. Defining the meaning of good depends on the story, but essentially doing good is what drives me.
Because I live in Shelbyville, often horses are the subject of my stories as I have always aimed to share the goodwill to the masses.
Now, I am in a completely different position -- fundraising, public relations and media relations vs. being on the inside of the news business -- but the end result remains the same.
I am, I have always been, and I will always be devoted to the horse. It used to be that I got paid to write and a lot of times I wrote about the horse.
Now I get paid to preserve it, protect it and promote it. Sometimes I write about it. The fact that I get to do all that in the town that I love is seriously like living my dream.
When I was a writer I never felt like I worked a day in my life. The fact that I get to do that all over again in my new job, minus writing so much, makes me feel like I'm not only living my dream, but living it on vacation.
People, my favorite people; horses; events; Bedford County; agricultural America ... it doesn't get any better.
FAST is charged with promoting, protecting and preserving the Tennessee Walking Show Horse and my first big initiative is set for April 15.
I'm in a big hurry to share all I can about this important event because it's going to be a shining star event that mirrors our real MVP in this area, the horse.
The best of its kind, in celebration of our horse (and the Celebration), the FAST Gala will take place April 15. For those of you who want to play a hand in making this a smashing success (and I know there are many of you out there and I can't thank you enough), please call me.
I have specific needs and encourage you to reach out. I need you, the horse needs you ... and we all need the horse.
It takes a village, and my mission is shine a bright light on our wonderful horse and community as we come together for a night of fun (and a live auction) you won't "fast" forget.
-- Contact Sadie Fowler at 931-639-3525 or email fowler@horseworld.net or FAST_Fowler@mail.com.
