Life is not all beer and skittles

Proverbial Meaning: Sometimes you have to work hard, you can't expect to have fun all the time. 

Literal Origins: Skittles is a game that was traditionally played in some English pubs, often in a working class area where people would go for a pint or two of beer after a hard day's work. So the proverb pertains to the fact tat one must often work hard all day before one has earned the right to relax and play. 

Common Usage: This proverb is not all that common, largely due to the game of skittles having almost died out completely as a pub game. However the proverb is still used on occasion, perhaps more so by older generations, or in some more rural, old-fashioned districts.