mind your P's and Q's
2007-02-12 15:01:33 · 13 answers · asked by Your Angel 6 in Entertainment & Music ➔ Polls & Surveys
where did that come from anyways?
2007-02-12 15:01:51 · update #1
the last time I heard that was in the 1950's.
from wikipedia:
Originally derived from the phrase originating in late to mid-1612 "To mind one's P's and Q's". In 1745 Francis I purportedly demanded that his troops mind their P's and Q's. In the late 1800's the phrase gained popularity in Victorian households. It may have originated in British pubs as an abbreviation for "mind your pints and quarts." Supposedly this warned the barkeep to serve full measure, mark the customer's tab accurately, etc. Another common theory is of a teacher telling a young student to write p's and q's appropriately, as they look similar.
Modern usage:
Today this phrase has come to refer to one's 'pleases' and 'thank-you's' with both letters 'p' and 'q' in onomatopoeic representation of their respective words. It is also used as a term to tell someone to be careful of their actions.
2007-02-12 15:08:44 · answer #1 · answered by sophieb 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I personally don't say it but here is where "mind your P's and Q's" came from...
Originally derived from the phrase originating in late to mid-1612 "To mind one's P's and Q's". In 1745 Francis I purportedly demanded that his troops mind their P's and Q's. In the late 1800's the phrase gained popularity in Victorian households. It may have originated in British pubs as an abbreviation for "mind your pints and quarts." Supposedly this warned the barkeep to serve full measure, mark the customer's tab accurately, etc. Another common theory is of a teacher telling a young student to write p's and q's appropriately, as they look similar.
2007-02-12 23:07:26 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
P's and Q's
Means to learn one's letters. Dates back to the late 18th century. Some people think it refers to the hard time children had learning to distinguish between the letters p and q, since they are mirror images of one another
2007-02-12 23:05:03 · answer #3 · answered by RiverGirl 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mind your manners~they don't make elementary class chalk boards with old English long hands as wall decoration anymore and no one would understand me texting it either unless u can remember kids with lice and half a blued head sitting nexted to u in class and wondering if it was going to get u upset
2007-02-12 23:22:56 · answer #4 · answered by bev 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A couple of weeks ago, Britain- Mind your pints and quarts...
2007-02-12 23:07:27 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Something about pints and quarts of ale. Like, forever.
2007-02-12 23:05:48 · answer #6 · answered by dino 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh....bout 15 years ago.
2007-02-12 23:05:32 · answer #7 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i've never heard or said that
2007-02-12 23:07:14 · answer #8 · answered by SprinkleBits 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
mind your pints and quarts...
2007-02-12 23:05:13 · answer #9 · answered by sammiejane67 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
many years ago
2007-02-12 23:08:01 · answer #10 · answered by ? 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋