Ray,
Your answer isn't as entertaining as the previous, but likely more on
target. It has always been of interest to me where these often used
phrases originate. Any other ideas?
Tom, Redding CA - #216 D/CC
Ray Buck wrote:
> At 11:09 PM 11/20/2003 -0500, you wrote:
>
>>In a message dated 11/20/03 8:46:17 PM Eastern Standard Time, kturk@ala.net
>>writes:
>>
>>
>>>Thought I'd poke my head in bout this point and say thanks to all of you
>>>for
>>>your exceptionally gential behavior of late.... ( in other words your doing
>>>good minding your P's and Q's...)( and that could be the trivia question of
>>>the week... what the heck is a P or Q? )
>>>
>>
>>P&Q's are pints & quarts, two sizes of beer mugs used in England. when a bar
>>fight started you were told to "Mind your P's & Q's!" Bob in connecticut
>
>
> I've heard a completely different answer to that. (My grandfather told me,
> about 45 years ago) It refers to moveable type as used in newspaper
> printing before typesetting machines. When viewed head-on the reversed
> images were very easy to get confused...so it was fairly easy for a young,
> inattentive typesetter to set up a rack of type that resulted in something
> like, "Mind your qints and puarts." Hence the admonishment to mind them
> (or keep them straight...or reversed...or something) while putting the type
> into place.
>
> Ray
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