At the time, beer was considered to be essential nutrition during times of hard work. Tom Walker wrote: > Mayhew discusses the increase of beer consumption coincident with wet > weather: "The reason for this increased consumption is obvious; when the > weather prevents workmen from prosecuting their respective callings in the > open air, they have recourse to drinking, to pass away the idle time." Later > he contrasts the beer-drinking statistics with those of gin-drinking: > "Indeed, the statistics showing the ratio of beer and gin-drinking are > curious enough (were this the place to enter into them), the most gin, as a > general rule, being consumed in the most depressed years." > > Without having any statistical evidence for this anecdotal observation, I > wonder whether there might also be a connection between the discontinuation > of sexual intimacy and the consumption of interior paint such as may be > indicated by the expression, "Not tonight, dear. What do you think of doing > one wall in the dining room in a sponged terra cotta?" > > Tom Walker > http://www.vcn.bc.ca/timework/
