What does be on your p's and q's mean???

Question

I know it means "be on your best behavior" but what does actually "p" and "q" stand for????

Answer 1

In English pubs, ale is ordered by pints and quarts... So in old England, when customers got unruly, the bartender would yell at them "Mind your pints and quarts, and settle down."

It's where we get the phrase "mind your P's and Q's"

Answer 2

I used to be a printer, so I know a bit about the origin of this saying. You might hear a lot of different explanations as to where it started, but here's the one I heard long ago when I was just a printer's apprentice working in the back of a small print shop: They don't print things this way any more, but at one time printers used to have type cases with actual pieces of metal type for the individual letters, which they would have to pick out of the wooden type case and set by hand to be printed. Each size and font style of type had it's own case. In the case, the lower-case "q" actually looked a lot like the lower-case "p", the only difference being that the descender-part of the character (the long line going downwards) was on the left on a "p" and on the right on a "q". So it was easy to get the two mixed up, and accidentally make a typographical error. So printers were actually the first to use the expression "Mind your P's and Q's". Today the expression has come to mean generally to watch carefully what you are doing with something, and not do or say anything that would compromise yourself or your task.

Answer 3

To be very careful and/or to behave correctly. It is tied to the fact that the lowercase letters "p" and "q" mirror each other. This is a term from typesetters in the printing industry. In the days of lead type, letters were set individually into a page, and they were placed one by one, upside down. They were pulled from a typecase, in which each letter had a designated space to reside. Problems came when pages were being taken apart and letters put away. If someone was in a hurry or was not paying attention to what he was doing, he could end up with p's and q's in the wrong slots in the typecase, which he wouldn't notice until the next time he was putting together a page, when he would unknowingly pick out the wrong letter. (This could also happen with b's and d's, but as they are more common than q's, typesetters were more accustomed to finding them, and they were mixed up less often.) Hence, pay attention to what you're doing now, so that you don't give yourself problems later on. Alternatively, in England this phrase is also associated with "p'ease" and "'k you" baby talk for 'Please' and 'Thank you', hence "Mind your P's and Q's" is sometimes used to mean "Remember to say 'Please' and 'Thank you.'" Another less widely accepted origin of this phrase purports to have originated in England where, when patrons at a bar were becoming unruly, the bartender would remind them to, "Mind your pints and quarts." This has been shortened to the phrase, "Mind your P's and Q's."

Answer 4

I think the meaning of it all depends on where you live and the circle of ppl you are surrounded by. I'm from London and have always been brought up with it meaning to be on you best behaviour, don't swear and say please and thank you!!! its the same with a lot of phrases they all seem ta mean different things and said in different context, even when you go from one part of London to the next a word or phrase can mean a totally different thing!

Answer 5

It means 'mind your pleases and thankyous'. In other words, be polite. Like we all are on Yahoo Answers!

Answer 6

actually p's and q's simply means getting your "crap" straight. your things, your brain, your schedual..

it depends on the situation at the time... mostly it's to get yourself organised get yourself together.. for whatever...

to get your p's and q's straight.

p's and q's mean almost anything now days.. but mostly you got to keep them straight, on time, in line, in check so on.

behavior.. then they'd say.. 'mind your p's and q's when company drops by'

work? get your p's and q's together before the meeting! or you're fired!

elsewhere: i must get my p's and q's up and about to get dinner ready or the kids will make me nuts!

Answer 7

Many years ago, ale was sold in pints (P's) and quarts (Q's). Whenever the bar crowd would get too rowdy, the bartender would tell them to mind their P's and Q's. Neat, eh?

Answer 8

I have no clue what exactly the p and q stand for. But I know I have heard it all my life. Mom always told us we had better mind our p's and q's everytime we went anywhere. Sorry

Answer 9

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What does be on your p's and q's mean???
I know it means "be on your best behavior" but what does actually "p" and "q" stand for????

Answer 10

Mind Your Ps And Qs