First off folks, happy new year to all. Hope everyone got home safe 'n sound. If ya didn't go out (like moi) then I hope ya hadda grand ol' time sittin' by yerself (like moi....altho I wasn't able to get drunk or even catch a lil' buzz, AGAIN!)
Second off folks, this here is my very first question of the very new year. This here is just a tiny sample o' the kinda stupidest silliest lil' things that pop inside my head at the stupidest silliest kinda moments. I'm not EVEN gonna tell ya when THIS one hit me. Just use yer imaginations.
What do the letters P & Q stand for in the statement "mind yer p's & q's"? I've gotta couple o' ideas but wanna know what the consensus is on this matter.
That's all folks.
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8 comments:
I once read that it's because the p and q mirror each other. You have to mind them/pay attention to them so you don't get them mixed up. I guess this was back in the day when the printing press was new.
As Zedral said I have heard it was from the printing industry where it was easy to mix up the reversed lowercase p and q and one had to be careful not to place the wrong one on the press.
I heard that it means Mind your "quarts" and "pints". This saying was used in England hundreds of years ago. The "barkeeps" would say this to patrons when they were getting out of hand or being "rowdy".
And here’s my first answer of the new year. This hit me yesterday, before I was thinking about your question.
I know exactly what they mean. My shrink used to say it to me all the time. Every time I walked into his office with that “look” in my eyes, he would say: “Watch your Prozac and Quaaludes”.
How the hell would I know! Do I look 90 friggin’ years old?
I have to second biker baby's answer. In fact... we just discussed this around our dinner table a few days ago.
In England, they serve pints and quarts of brew. When a bar fight would break out, during the scuffle it was said... "to mind your pints and quarts", hence mind your p's and q's.
Hope you have a great 2010! It's what I'm hoping for.
I think I am behind the times b/c I never heard that expression before. Now I have one more expression to add to my verbal arsenal. MeanDonnaJean you are my computerized professor of life!!
MDJ:
This is such an educational site. You can learn so much just by stopping by and reading the comments. They say you're never too old to learn, something new every day
luv,
happy new year
bob
bobskoot: wet coast scootin
PS: means "stay out of trouble" but in different words
Pints and Quarts is the story I heard. Although I'll go with the lower cast letters too.
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