What does it mean to be on your p&q's?

Question

what does it mean to be on your P's & Q's?

lol..

Answer 1

I've always heard it as "mind your P's and Q's" The P's and Q's refer to pints and quarts. In taverns ale was sold in either pints or quarts. a person who minds their "P's and Q's" watched how much they drank, so that they would not become drunk and rowdy. They would be on their best behavior.

I've heard others, but this makes the most sense to me.

Answer 2

im not sure what that specific phrase means..

but where I'm from, we say "mind your P's & Q's" which means, be polite/don't be rude or curse.

Answer 3

Pints and quarts. <}:-})

Answer 4

I just checked into your question doing a search. Apparently there are several possible origins. Check out www.straightdope.com/classics

and type in "minding your p's and q's"

Answer 5

The expression "mind your P's and Q's" originated with printers who set headlines using movable type. If you've ever seen old type, you know the letters are mirror images of the regular alphabet. Lower-case P's look like Q's and vice versa. "Mind your P's and Q's" was a reminder not to mix up the letters when putting them back in the rack after use.

Answer 6

Minding your p's and q's means being polite or restrained. Apparently it's an old expression from England: a bartender would yell out "mind your pints and quarts" as in, beer (since they used to drinking it in quarts as well as pints!)

I've never heard anyone say "be on" your p's and q's though.  

Answer 7

your manors lol im pretty sure xD  

Answer 8

i dont think my parents knew the corect meanin for the sayin they always said it was to mean mind your own business

Answer 9

Not sure what p's and q's stand for..... but it means to be on your best behavoir.