2006-12-29 10:32:40 · 10 answers · asked by Tina M 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Words & Wordplay
To explain plainly, minding your p's and q's means "behave yourself" or "mind your manners."
The following is a more elaborate explanation from an article in ask yahoo:
The idiom was first cited by the Oxford English Dictionary in 1779 with the meaning of watching your step and being polite. Now, it's a childish abbreviation for minding your "pleases" and "thank yous." Considering how often kids are told to "mind your Ps and Qs" with the goal of being more polite, this explanation makes sense.
Two popular theories revolve around the mirror-image quality of the two letters. The phrase was recorded in 1830 as meaning "to learn one's letters." It was aimed at children learning to hand-write the lowercase letters p and q, which are quite similar. Another explanation along the same lines comes from the world of printing. Typesetters used blocks of type that were mirror images of the letters, so it would be easy to mix up lowercase p and q. This origin would give "mind your Ps and Qs" a connotation of being careful and paying sharp attention.
Another oft-mentioned source of the phrase is old pubs where beer and ale was served in pints and quarts. The barkeeper tracked patrons' drinking totals by marking "P" for pints and "Q" for quarts. Both the barkeeper and the drinker would want to keep careful track of those Ps and Qs so they knew what the final bill would be. Also, the drinker might want to pay attention to how much he drank so as to keep his own behavior under control.
2006-12-29 10:40:37 · answer #1 · answered by TY 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It means mind your manners, but originates from when papers were still printed with block letter stamps. The stamp for p, q, b and d was the same. And stamps look backwards when you look at them from what they'll look like printed. It was to make sure the printer turned the stamp the right way, so they wouldn't mean to say "paper" and have it come out "qaqer" instead.
2006-12-29 18:38:52 · answer #2 · answered by Jordan D 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
In old England, a bartender would yell 'Mind your pints and quarts!' at unruly customers...meaning that they were being TOO uncivilized and unrefined.
Later (in today's society), it was shortened to 'Mind your p's and q's!'...meaning to watch what you say.
2006-12-29 18:40:13 · answer #3 · answered by : ) 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means to be careful, to look after your affairs carefully and exclusively.
It probably came from the printing industry where p's and q's were very similar in type face and therefore hard to distinguish.
2006-12-29 18:40:22 · answer #4 · answered by pat z 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A long time ago beer was sold (in pubs) in Pints and Quarts, when people started to get drunk the bartender would tell them to watch their P's and Q's
2006-12-29 18:36:57 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Pints and quarts, in reference to drinking liquor. It's intended to tell a person "Don't be abase" or "Don't be uncoeuth".
2006-12-29 18:34:56 · answer #6 · answered by Mickey Mouse Spears 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
http://ask.yahoo.com/20031127.html
2006-12-29 18:35:22 · answer #7 · answered by coolgurl_93 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
manners
2006-12-29 18:36:24 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
idk acctually i think it means pay attention to what you are doing like dotting your i's and t's :)
2006-12-29 18:40:11 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Please and thank Q,s
2006-12-29 18:40:14 · answer #10 · answered by digby_by 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋