When someone tells you mind your P's and Q's what are they talking about ?

Question

Can anyone tell me where it orginated from ?

Thank you for your answers !

Answer 1

Pint and Quarts. In the "olden" days, people would get rowdy when they drank to much. Back then, drinks were measure in pints and quarts.

Thus, "Mind your P's and Q's" mean don't get drunk and make a fool of yourself. Today, we use it to mean mind your manners and not get rowdy.

Answer 2

As usual, we've got theories by the yard, facts by the angstrom. The more fanciful explanations for "mind your p's and q's" include:

It 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.
It meant "mind your pea (jacket) and queue." Queues (pigtails) were often powdered, and wifeypoo was telling hubby to keep the cruddy kid stuff off his collar. An even dumber variation of this involves "pieds," French for "feet," and says minding your p's and q's means combing your hair and polishing your shoes, or something like that.

P and q stands for "prime quality." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to be P and Q was a regional expression meaning top quality. It first shows up in a bit of doggerel from 1612: "Bring in a quart of Maligo, right true: And looke, you Rogue, that it be Pee and Kew."
The simplest explanation is that the expression refers to the difficulty kids have distinguishing lower-case p and q, mirror images of each other. Mind your you-know-whats was thus a teacher's admonition to students. Plausible? Yes. Sexy? No. Such is the fate of a slave to facts.

"On the qt," meaning on the sly, secret, is easier. Most likely it's an abbreviation of "quiet."

Answer 3

Here are a couple of ideas as to the meaning:

It 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.

It meant "mind your pea (jacket) and queue." Queues (pigtails) were often powdered, and wifeypoo was telling hubby to keep the cruddy kid stuff off his collar. An even dumber variation of this involves "pieds," French for "feet," and says minding your p's and q's means combing your hair and polishing your shoes, or something like that.

P and q stands for "prime quality." According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to be P and Q was a regional expression meaning top quality. It first shows up in a bit of doggerel from 1612: "Bring in a quart of Maligo, right true: And looke, you Rogue, that it be Pee and Kew."

The simplest explanation is that the expression refers to the difficulty kids have distinguishing lower-case p and q, mirror images of each other. Mind your you-know-whats was thus a teacher's admonition to students.

Answer 4

i examine some thing approximately this on the OED internet site a at the same time as lower back. i heard the p and q handwriting/writing confusion, even nevertheless i think of the greater in all probability, or in line with danger basically greater appropriate, is that this is a sort of contraction of 'recommendations your pleases and thank yous', as in england a minimum of, this word potential some thing such as recommendations your manners, or be respectful. wish this helped!

Answer 5

Something to do with minding your pints and quarts...don't know if that means stop running your mouth cuz you've been drinking pints or quarts, or whether it means shut your trap and watch what your'e doing (maybe mixing up the quart with the pint and vice versa?)..

But for sure I know it's PINTS and QuARTS

Answer 6

The phrase was once, 'to mind your pints and quarts.' It comes from barkeepers who would watch to see who was tipping from the supplies. It was eventually shortened to 'P's and Q's' and began to mean that you should pay better than usual attention to detail, insinuating that your attention to detail is somewhat sloppy. More and more frequently, it is used in the context of one's manner.

Answer 7

P's & Q's refer to the words that start with those same letters. Politeless & Quietness. In other words, be seen & not heard unless you choose your words carefully. Leftover from Victorian Days of polite society. It's a verbal warning that implies that your mouth is your worst enemy & could be embarrassing another family member!

Answer 8

Yes I can. It originated in English pubs. It was their last call for alcohol. Since beer is served in pint and quarts, they said to mind your pints and quarts.

Answer 9

Pints and Quarts, English bars, I think.

Answer 10

It's an old saying, but I just don't recall where it originated from. Perhaps from alphabet soup!
It means to behave and not talk or act out of line. But I think you know that part.