What does "Mind your p's and q's" mean?

David

It means mind your own business, keep your nose out! Two theories as to its origins are that it's either short for 'Mind your peace and quiet' or that it was a maxim for children at school, as p and q can easily be confused in lower case letters when you're learning to read! Dec 04 00, 3:02 AM

l3i7l

When learning to set type for printing years ago, this was a favorite of the teacher. Because the typeface was backwards it meant just that - watch your 'p's and q's'. I have also read that it was addressed to innkeepers, to pay attention to their 'pints and quarts' (of beer), and not the daliances of their roomers upstairs. Dec 04 00, 4:58 AM

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