Things are rough all over ???

[Assassin]

What does that phrase mean ? Is it about life ?

Thanks !

[Tdol]

Have you got the context? It could mean that things are bad\difficult\violent everywhere.

[Ouisch]

In AmE, usually this phrase is used to commisserate with someone who is going through a difficult patch in his life - perhaps he's just lost his job, or his car broke down and he has to wait until payday to get it fixed. (And in AmE, we usually say "things are tough all over.") Then the person who has made the "things are tough" remark will embellish by saying "I noticed that three shops in my neighborhood went bankrupt in the last month." The first person might counter with "I read in the paper that there are going to be some major lay-offs (staff reductions) at the auto plant before the end of the year." Second person: "Have you seen the price of gas lately?" First person sighs and repeats, "I guess things are tough all over."

[Assassin]

I found it in the novel The Outsiders by S.E Hinton. Here is the paragraph which has that phrase:

Cherry no longer looked sick, only sad. "I'll bet you think the Socs have it made. The rich kids, the West-side Socs. I'll tell you something, Ponyboy, and it may come as a surprise. We have troubles you've never even heard of. You want to know something?" She looked me in the eye. "Things are rough all over."

[ue_bugmenot]

What Cherry is trying to say to Ponyboy is that although the Socs' life may seem easier, more privileged, the greasers aren't the only ones with problems. They have problems too, just as bad.