Beer And Skittles

Life isn't all beer and skittles is a saying, said to have been coined in the mid 19th century. It has been referred to in a number of literary works by famous authors from that time, including Thomas Hughes and Charles Dickens.

"mid 19th century, meaning that life is not unalloyed pleasure or relaxation"

Skittles, in this instance, is not referring to the popular candy. In case you're not familiar with it, skittles is a sport, similar to modern bowling. There are some references to similar bowling-type games dating back 5,000 years ago to ancient Egypt.

By some accounts, skittles is considered the ancestor of modern ten-pin bowling. There's also a table version of the game.

Below are a number of quotes where the phrase has been used or referred to.

"Life isn't all beer and skittles; but beer and skittles, or something better of the same sort, must form a good part of every Englishman's education."
-Thomas Hughes
Tom Brown's Schooldays [1857], pt. I ch. 2

"Life is with such all beer and skittles;
They are not difficult to please
About their victuals."
-Charles Stuart Calverley, Contentment

"Life ain't all beer and skittles, and more's the pity."
-George Du Maurier
Trilby [1894], pt. I

Charles Dickens made a reference to the phrase in Pickwick Papers with a slight variation, saying:

"They don't mind it; it's a regular holiday to them - all porter and skittles."

Porter refers to porter's ale:

porter
"dark beer," 1727, as porter's ale, from porter (1), because the beer was made for porters and other laborers, being cheap and strong.

"porter." Online Etymology Dictionary. Douglas Harper, Historian. 01 Nov. 2010. http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/porter>.

Other references

The Phrase Finder: B & S is "shorthand for a life of indulgence spent in the pub."

Photo credit: Table Skittles / CC 3.0

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