What does the "p's and q's" in the phrase "Mind your p's and q's" stand for?

Question

What does the "p's and q's" in the phrase "Mind your p's and q's" stand for?

Answer 1

Mind your pints and quarts. It is a saying from the old pubs where the bar maids and bar tender had to keep track of how many of each each customer drank so they could charge them the correct amount at the end of the night.

Answer 2

In old English, the phrase meant "mind your pints and quarts". When people got together in a social gathering, "mind your p's and q's" meant watch your alchohol intake.

Answer 3

It comes from jolly old England when the bartender had to break up fights. He would tell the offenders and bystanders to mind their pints and quarts, the measurement of the drinks. It was shortened to p's and q's.

Answer 4

It is an acient phrase from babylon where they were constantly losing letters of the alphabet. The most common was P and Q and somtimes lowercase d...but then they just turned it around.

Answer 5

Mind you pints and quarts....In old England, lots of fights would break out in the bars. The bartender would yell mind your p's and q's when one broke out. This was to protect their cherished alcohol....

Answer 6

Holy crap I can't believe how many differnt answers I am seeing. The only one that I am buying right now is the printing press answer. It makes the most sense.

Answer 7

My grandfather used to tell me that it meant "Mind your perceptions and questions"



Using that definition, it really does help the way you look at certain things.

Answer 8

Pints and Quarts.

Answer 9

On old printing presses, the letters are backwards. It was important to pay attention to the p's and q's because they look like they other one when they are backwards like that.

Answer 10

I think suppertrooper has it correct, however I thought it was from Middle English era, huh.

Answer 11

Mind your principles and questions.

Answer 12

it means mind your pints and quarts.

Answer 13

Good question. I never really thought about it.

Answer 14

pints and quarts,



and thankyou, yes, i believe I will have another...

Answer 15

It means watch you're mouth.

Answer 16

pints and quarts

Answer 17

phrases and quotations :-)

Answer 18

your pajamas and quills

:-P

i dont know??

Answer 19

i don't know