To trim the excess fat from boneless, skinless chicken thighs, I use tongs to grab the fat and excise it with scissors (old habits from the OR) rather than use a knife and risk my fingers.
When you slice vegetables like a pile of mushrooms, curl your finger tips under like a crab walks.
Removing the skin from garlic cloves is very satisfying and easy when you cut off the stem end then smash it with the flat side of a chef’s knife. The skin literally jumps off the clove.