proverb · Source-linked selection
There are many ways of killing a dog beside hanging him.
There are many ways of killing a dog beside hanging him.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying uses several ways of killing a dog as an image of multiple means to an end. A humane application concerns alternative methods for a harmless task.
What the words are saying
Beside hanging refuses to treat one method as the only possible route. The practical insight can be retained without adopting the violent example: reconsider an approach when it is blocked or unsuitable. Choosing alternatives still requires attention to their consequences; merely having several options does not make all of them acceptable.
Everyday example
A group finds a simpler way to share information when the first planned tool is unavailable.
When to use it
Use the underlying comparison for harmless problem solving.
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What it does not mean
The violent image is not an endorsement of harming animals or pursuing an end by any means.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 744 · Hanging
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English