careful to behave correctly.' name='description'> mind one's ps and qs - definition and meaning
mind one's ps and qs love

mind one's ps and qs

Definitions

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb idiomatic To be very careful to behave correctly.

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Disputed; see the alt.english.usage FAQ. May be an alteration of "mind your 'pleases and 'thank yous". Other possibilities include: when behaving poorly in a pub due to drinking too much beer, the bartender may use the phrase meaning "Be mindful of how many pints and quarts you are drinking because it is starting to show in your behavior."; or in typesetting where letters are arranged in mirror orientation and a lowercase p and q can be easily confused.

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