According to legend, porter was so named because it was popular with the porters of Covent Garden in London. It was made by mixing brews of three different strengths (three threads) and originally called 'entire.' The name stout came about (little poetry thrown in there) when porter was given even more bollocks: stout porter. Arthur Guinness went further and named his porter 'Extra Stout.'

Wasted youth? I think not. I wasn't there, mind.