what exactly are your Ps and Qs, as in "mind your Ps and Qs"?

Answer 1

The European equivalent of saying 'say please and thank you'.

Answer 2

First --the expression (which dates to the late 18th century--at least 1779) means:

"be very careful how you behave, be sure to behave correctly"


Now there are SEVERAL theories of how the expression came to be. Some of the most common are:

1) "pints and quarts" when serving at a bar. It was said that the bartender kept a tally on a blackboard of what he had sold. To tell him to "mind his p's and q's" what mean to mind his own business... get back to his work.

But, as previous answers have shown, OTHER folks who also associate it with "pints and quarts" offer various other meanings for the expression itself (such as, "don't get drunk" [i.e., distinguish your pints from quarts])

problems:
* this suggestion is not found before the early 20th century
* the meaning "mind your own business" is NOT quite what the modern idiom means, nor are the other suggested meanings; it's also odd that there is no agreement on exactly HOW the pints and quarts relate to the expression itself

2) refers to the forms of the lower case letters p and q -- warning for typesetters to be careful not to reverse these two letters, which are easy to confuse, esp since type is set backwards. A variation on this -- advice to children to watch out about making the same sort of mistake when printing their letters.

I've always liked the typesetting solution -- it seems extremely convenient that p's and q's would be mirror images, and DOES yield a reasonable explanation of the sense of the modern expression (of taking great care to get the details straight)

3) explanation found in Collins Dictionary -- it it is an altered form of

"Mind your 'Please's and 'thanK YOU's".

maybe -- sounds rather attractive and DOES have the correct meaning and even the emphasis on polite behavior. Unfortunately, there is no specific evidence of the expression from which it is supposed to be derived except in explanations of this very question! (But frankly, I'm not sure the other expressions do a whole lot better on that score.)

This link discusses these options, favoring #3 above
http://www.yaelf.com/aueFAQ/mifmindyourpsandqs.shtml

See also:
http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorp.htm#mind%20your%20p's%20&

Answer 3

This is, I believe, the truth... It sounds kind of weird...

In old times, people would get drunk and start acting out in bars. Bartenders would get mad at them for drinking too much, and say "mind your pints and quarts!" as in "Don't drink that much!" It got shortened to Mind your Ps and Qs! It's pretty much saying "Calm Down!"

Answer 4

Its from Ireland. People there like to debate politics and when debates got particularly heated the bartender would tell everyone to mind their P's and Q's (pints and quarts of beer) to calm the plac down.

Answer 5

in many cases it skill innovations your manners, or in some truly particular circumstances do now no longer swear. i do now no longer understand regardless of if it truly is actual actual, yet I heard 2 recommendations approximately how this expression have been given right here to be. First one says that bar tenders used to visual exhibit unit the playstation (Pints) and Qs (quarts) their customers drank in previous England to appreciate jointly as to diminish back them off. 2d tale I heard somebody suggested that as at as quickly as as printing presses have been first invented and you have been putting the letters into place the letters have been of direction reversed and it grew to enhance into into truly straightforward to alter p and q in case you weren't careful. the two one is clever to me, the bar one makes greater sense in my head basically by ability of way of actuality i do now no longer understand how a turn of observe from printers in fifteenth century England would desire to finally finally end up indoors the time-venerated public vernacular, yet i think of something is achievable, choose this helped.

Answer 6

I think it's from England or Ireland, when back in the day, Pints and Quarts were poured, and if you didn't watch your mug, someone would drink from it...so ,hence, mind your P's and Q's...(pints and quarts)...

Answer 7

P's and Q's were tally marks in English pubs to keep track of pints (P's) and quarts (Q's) delivered to and to be charged to each of the patrons.