Go to the downloads page for flash tool, system image downloads, and complete flashing instructions. Henkle in educational notes and queries in 1876, in this case the proper spelling of the phrase should be note your p s and q s, because the distinction of majuscule p and q does not pose a problem. To mind ones ps and qs is an english phrase meaning to mind ones manners, or, generally, to be careful of ones behaviour. The ced says that it is an alteration of the expression, mind your please s and thank you s. On all occasions next the chair he stands for service of the mayor, and to instruct him how to use his as and bs, and ps and qs.
Reminding someone to watch his ps and qs means to pay attention to the details. The first is in a poem by charles churchill, published in 1763. It comes from the days of early printers whose job was assembling individual metal letters into frames galleys in order to make up a pag. My favorite is that bartenders used to shout it during fights to tell people to watch their pints and quarts, but the oxford english dictionary says that particular origin story can be neither substantiated or dismissed. Whats the origin of the expression mind your ps and qs. The explanation for its origin that i think is most probable is that in english culture its very important to say please when asking for something. Regression analysis illustration with underlying data points. Still drinkin water on yall niggas, man with perfect pitch im singing free my niggas polished and purposeful hes. If you mind your ps and qs or watch your ps and qs, you try to speak and behave politely. The expression is mind your ps and qs or mind ones ps and qs. This expression may originally have been a warning to children not to confuse p s and q s when learning the alphabet.
View american english definition of mind your ps and qs. Jun, 2010 the etymology of the phrase mind your p s and q s. If you mind your p s and q s or watch your p s and q s, you try to speak and behave politely. You can choose to revert to a production build at any time. Likewise in todays parlance it is a warning to pay attention to anything in general. Mind your ps and qs meaning in the cambridge english. Apr 30, 2008 to mind ones ps and qs is an english phrase meaning to mind ones manners, or, generally, to be careful of ones behaviour. Word unscrambler quickly unscramble words and letters. When youve got a set of jumbled up letters that you need to solve, our free word unscrambler is the perfect online tool. Ps and qs definition of ps and qs by the free dictionary. They are also used to form contractions cant, wouldnt, which are rarely acceptable in scholarly writing, and the plurals of the letters of the alphabet ps and qs, three as. Sallys got very strict ideas about how her children should behave, so mind your ps and qs.
There are other theories but as the faq points out, the most plausible might be the explanation given by the collins english dictionary. Mind ones ps and qs definition of mind ones ps and qs. There have been several theories posted on phrase finder about minding your ps and qs. This started in your country, when measures of beer were marked on a slate before payment. When youre working on this project, mind your ps and qs. Definition and synonyms of mind your ps and qs from the online english dictionary from macmillan education. Word finders free word unscrambler allows you to find the best cheats and highest scoring words for scrabble, words with friends, and all of your other favorite word games.
Jun 18, 2015 how to write ps and qs if youve ever been to one of my book signings, its very likely that i wrote mind your ps and qs, in your book. Mind your ps and qs definition and meaning collins. Pupils also had to mind the placement of the letters when writing the alphabet eg. I think its a fun phrase, and i love that it uses an exception. Ps and qs definition is something such as ones manners that one should be mindful of.
Mind one s p s and q s definition is to be careful about behaving in a polite or proper way. Mind ones ps and qs definition is to be careful about behaving in a polite or proper way. There is no need for the apostrophe on either the p or the q. This expression may originally have been a warning to children not to confuse ps and qs when learning the alphabet.
A principle function of apostrophes is to indicate possession. According to the oxford english dictionary, to be p and q was a regional expression meaning top quality. Ps and qs definition of ps and qs by merriamwebster. Sep 16, 2012 the admonition to mind your ps and qs means to pay attention and take care, particularly to be polite. Anyone who has worked as a printers devil knows the answer to the origin and meaning of the elderly term, mind your ps and qs. Some manors dont like me, they try and badmind me when kano comes to town all i say is minds right, and they lose the limelight when kano. Since the letters in the press were reversed so theyd print forward, the printmaker or typographer needed to be careful not to confuse one letter for the other. Synonyms for mind your ps and qs include be good, behave, do the right thing, keep out of mischief, obey the rules and toe the line. It is sometimes written mind ones ps and qs though some feel that apostrophes are unnecessary in the plurals of. It is parental baby talk, mimicking the childs simplification of consonant groups in please and simply contracting in thankyou, which latter the plays of bernard shaw for example render simply as kew. In this paper, we define and discuss \mathcalrp,q deformations of basic univariate discrete distributions of the probability theory. You may see the phrase as mind your ps and qs or mind your ps and qs or mind your ps and qs or less often as mind your ps and qs. This is said to have arisen in the world of typesetting, where the letters p and q were easily confused. Only one clear origin mind your ps and qs meaning mind your manners is quite obviously from mind your pleases and thankyous.
Back in the early days of printing presses, each line of text had to be set up one letter at a time. This is the british english definition of mind your ps and qs. The abbreviation spqr means, in english, the senate and the roman people or the senate and the people of rome, but what exactly those four letters s, p, q, and r stand for in latin is a little less clear. It is sometimes written mind ones ps and qs though some feel that apostrophes are unnecessary in the plurals of capital letters, or mind ones ps and qs. The term is actually correctly stated as mind your p s and q s. Mind your ps and qs is a phrase used to children to remind them to be on their best behaviour. Oed 3rd edition 2007 says that the origin of the phrase is unknown and states that a common suggestion is that the phrase originates with the distinction of the minuscule letters p and q in either the schoolroom or the printingoffice, but goes on to say that the chronology of the senses argues against this. Watch your ps and qs idioms by the free dictionary. Mind ones ps and qs definition of mind ones ps and. Likewise in today s parlance it is a warning to pay attention to anything in general. Looking for online definition of pqs or what pqs stands for.
Pqs is listed in the worlds largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms the free dictionary. Some manors dont like me, they try and badmind me when kano comes to town all i say is minds right, and they lose the limelight when kano comes around some try screw me. The ced says that it is an alteration of the expression, mind your pleases and thank yous. A much less wellknown explanation suggests that your ps and qs. Mind your ps and qs is an english language expression meaning mind your manners, mind your language, be on your best behaviour, watch what youre. What does the phrase mind your ps and qs mean and what is. Synonyms for mind your p s and q s include be good, behave, do the right thing, keep out of mischief, obey the rules and toe the line. Mind your ps and qs phrase definition and synonyms. Ps and qs definition and meaning collins english dictionary. In this instance it is considered a warning to not get too drunk to pay your tab. Francis grose, in his 1785 edition of the dictionary of the vulgar tongue, defines it like this. Phrases posted by robin jones on september 14, 2000. Collected via email, november 2002 at local taverns, pubs and bars, people drank from pint and quartsized containers.
There are multiple delightful and unproven theories about the origin of the phrase mind your ps and qs. Synonyms for mind your p s and q s include behave, acquit, act, bear, carry, comport, conduct, demean, deport and quit. She always minded her ps and qs in front of the queen, but their relationship wasnt that close. What does the phrase mind your ps and qs mean and what. What is the origin of the phrase, mind your ps and qs. The term is actually correctly stated as mind your ps and qs. Pqs is listed in the world s largest and most authoritative dictionary database of abbreviations and acronyms. I must preface my remarks on the origin of the term with brief background. All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. Oed 3rd edition 2007 says that the origin of the phrase is unknown and states that a common suggestion is that the phrase originates with the distinction of the minuscule letters p and q in either the schoolroom or the printingoffice, but goes on to say that the chronology of the. P s and q s definition is something such as one s manners that one should be mindful of. An even dumber variation of this involves pieds, french for feet, and says minding your ps and qs means combing your hair and polishing your shoes, or something like that. Synonyms for mind your ps and qs include behave, acquit, act, bear, carry, comport, conduct, demean, deport and quit.
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