1780-6. Wolcot ('P. Pindar') Odes R. Acad., wks., 1794, I., 105. He surely had been brandying it or beering, that is, in plainer English, he was drunk. [d.]
To think no small beer [of oneself], phr. (common).—Small beer is weak beer; hence, figuratively equivalent to a trifle. The expression, to think no small beer of oneself, indicates, therefore, a good measure of self-esteem.
1840. De Quincey, Style, wks. XI., 174. [I] should express her self-esteem by the popular phrase, that she did not think small beer of herself.
Beer and Bible, phr. (political).—An epithet applied sarcastically to a political party which first came into prominence during the last Beaconsfield Administration. It was called into being by a measure introduced by the moderate Liberals in 1873, with a view to placing certain restrictions upon the sale of intoxicating drinks. The Licensed Victuallers, an extremely powerful association, whose influence extended all over the kingdom, took alarm, and turned to the Conservatives for help in opposing the bill. In the ranks of the latter were numbered the chief brewers; the leaders of the association, moreover, had mostly strong high church tendencies, while one of them was president of the Exeter Hall organization. The Liberals, noting these facts, sarcastically nicknamed this alliance the Beer and Bible Association; the Morning Advertiser, the organ of the Licensed Victuallers, was dubbed the Beer and Bible Gazette; and lastly, electioneering tactics ascribed to them the war cry of beer and bible! This so-called beer and bible interest made rapid strides: in 1870 the Conservatives were at their low water mark among the London constituencies; but, in 1880, they had carried seats in the City, Westminster, Marylebone, Tower Hamlets, Greenwich, and Southwark A notable exception to this strange fellowship was Mr. Bass [afterwards Lord Bass], of pale-ale fame, who held aloof from opposition to the measure in question. Anent the nickname Beer and Bible Gazette given to the Morning Advertiser, it may be mentioned that it had already earned for itself a somewhat similar sobriquet. For a long time this paper devoted one-half of its front page to notices of publicans and tavern-keepers; while the other half was filled up with announcements of religious books, and lists of preachers at the London churches and chapels. This gained for the paper the equally singular sobriquet of the 'Gin and Gospel Gazette.'
Beer and Skittles. Generally, Not all beer and skittles, phr. (familiar), i.e., not altogether pleasant, or couleur de rose. A tap room simile, the allusion being to drinking beer and playing at skittles at one and the same time.
1870. Mansfield, School-Life at Winchester College, p. 138. But football wasn't all beer and skittles to the Fags. There was an institution called 'Kicking in,' which, while it lasted, was much worse than 'watching out' at cricket, although it had the very great merit of not continuing so long; for, even on a whole holiday, we seldom had more than two hours of it.
1889. Pall Mall Gaz., Aug. 13, p. 6. Prince George of Wales is 'learning his
