What is the meaning when someone says to you, mind your P's & Q's?
2007-09-06 10:16:12 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
"P's & Q's" is actually an old saying for English sailors who were given leave. It stands for 'Mind your Pints and Quarts', as in make sure that you pay for your beer (whether they be a "pint" or a "quart")
2007-09-06 10:26:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
1. P's and Q's
From an old printer's axiom. Back in the early days of printing presses, each line of text had to be set up one letter at a time. Since the letters in the press were reversed (so they'd print forward), the printmaker (or typographer) needed to be careful not to confuse one letter for the other.
Reminding someone to "watch his p's and q's" means to pay attention to the details.
On the stand, Bill was always careful to watch his p's and q's when dealing with the lawyers.
2. P's and Q's
This axiom, regardless of its origins, has been common in post-victorian Britain as an abbreviation of 'to mind your manners' or, more specifically, to say both 'please' (p's) and 'thankyou' (thank-Q).
Thus the phrase 'watch your p's and q's' has been in use to encourage people to speak politely, especially children, who remember such phrases better than just instructions.
Kid 1: You spill my pint?
Kid 2: feck off!
Mum: Oi, watch you're p's and q's!
Kid 2: Sorry. Feck off, please.
2007-09-06 10:27:36 · answer #2 · answered by ed 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Be on your best behaviour; be careful of your language.
Ps and Qs are just the plural of the letters P and Q. There some disagreement amongst grammarians about how to spell Ps and Qs - either upper-case or lower-case and either with or without a hyphen. You may see the phrase as mind your p's and q's or mind your Ps and Qs or (occasionally) mind your P's and Q's or (rarely) as mind your ps and qs.
As well as the spelling, the original meaning is also in doubt. Francis Grose, in his 1785 edition of The Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, defines it like this:
"To mind one's P's and Q's; to be attentive to the main chance."
2007-09-06 10:23:54 · answer #3 · answered by Ally 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It means to mind your own business.
2007-09-06 10:23:26 · answer #4 · answered by Ron Burgundy 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mind your manners.
2007-09-06 10:24:04 · answer #5 · answered by Emzie 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I use em sometimes in such a way that mind wot u saying, and its consequences..... as far as i think it also link u with future...
2007-09-10 04:45:05 · answer #6 · answered by will u answer me 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means to mind your manners, be polite, and don't do something you'll regret.
2007-09-06 10:25:23 · answer #7 · answered by Maya 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
They are telling you to be on your best behavior, be polite, etc.
Hope that helps.
2007-09-06 10:24:34 · answer #8 · answered by real kool kat 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋