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Name: Lisa
Status: other
Grade: other
Location: IL
Country: N/A
Date: 1/17/2006
Question:
What is the meaning of "Minding your P's and Q's ?"

Replies:
This expression comes from when type for printing was set by hand. Since type is image reversed and the lower case 'p' and lower case 'q' were in contiguous bins, it was easy to mix them up. Consequently, if a type setter would be distracted, an error could easily occur. Granted that there is a similar situation with 'b' and 'd', but they were not in contiguous bins. This eventually led to the idiomatic expression, "mind your p's and q's" meaning pay attention to your own business.

Nathan A. Unterman

This is an old printing phrase.

When looking at a block of type, the letters p and q can be mistaken for each other, hence mind your p's and q's.

Why it is taken in a "good manners" sense, well, I'm not good mannered enough to know.

Howard Barnes.
Ex-printer.

Hi, Lisa.

This question has been answered elsewhere on the Newton BBS. Seems it originate from when typesetting of newspapers was done by hand. Check out this link:

http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen01/gen01325.htm

Thanks!

David Brandt, P.E.

I always wondered about this one, so I googled "mind your p's and q's origin." Here are two sites with explanations. There are more sites you can visit out of the search I did. It seems no one REALLY knows for sure, but it looks like there are many possible explanations.

http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_264.html

http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/248000.html

Patricia Rowe

This expression comes from when type for printing was set by hand. Since type is image reversed and the lower case 'p' and lower case 'q' were in contiguous bins, it was easy to mix them up. Consequently, if a type setter would be distracted, an error could easily occur. Granted that there is a similar situation with 'b' and 'd', but they were not in contiguous bins. This eventually led to the idiomatic expression, "mind your p's and q's" meaning pay attention to your own business.

Nathan A. Unterman

In writing in script the shape of the letter 'p' and 'q' look very similar (at least in many font styles). This is also true of printed fonts -- in fact, the font used in this document illustrates the similarity of 'p' and 'q'. They are mirror images of one another 'p|q' where the vertical line '|' is the mirror. So "minding your P's and Q's" has come to mean being on your good behavior or being careful in whatever task you are referring to.

Vince Calder


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