Table Skittles (or Bar Skittles) is also known by the curious name of ‘Devil Amongst the Tailors’ (or Devil Among the Tailors).
This unusual name is thought to have originated from an incident during a play at the Theatre Royal, Haymarket, London in 1805.
On 15th August 1805 a play called The Tailors: A Tragedy for Warm Weather,
starring William Dowton, was presented at a theatre in London's Haymarket, then known as The Little Theatre in the Hay, later to become the Theatre Royal.
The London tailors took exception to this satire on their craft, and thousands
rioted, both inside and outside the theatre. The special constables were
helpless against the overwhelming odds, so a troop of Life Guards was called.
Sixteen prisoners were taken and the rest dispersed.
The Life Guards did their job so effectively that it was likened to a skittle ball ploughing
through the skittles. Thereafter, the game of Table Skittles (or Bar Skittles) was often referred
to as ‘Devil Amongst the Tailors’ (or Devil Among the Tailors).
If you would like to read more about the tailor's riot see this article on the
Theatre History site
I also found these other meanings of the name
‘Devil Amongst the Tailors’
(or Devil Among the Tailors):
- A children's game that has a spinning-top careering amongst a set of nine wooden 'men' positioned in 'rooms'. Popular in North America, it possibly originated in France where it is known as Table à Toupie. It is also played in the Netherlands where it is known as Toptafel.
- A heated slanging match, or violent free-for-all.
- A firework that emits sparks, stars, and finally 'whirring imps'.
- An old Scottish tune, or reel. It was played in the 1960 film Tunes of Glory starring Alec Guinness and John Mills, based on the novel by James Kennaway.
The tune, ‘The Devil Among the Tailors’, is also played in English pubs – click on the links below for more information about these :-
The Devil Among the Tailors – traditional music and
The Devil Among the Tailors – from a list of traditional tunes at Leeds university
‘A Devil Amongst The Tailors’ is also the name of an Australian hip hop music group from Adelaide!