# Mind your ps and qs!

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-your-ps-and-qs/399656>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 11, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-your-ps-and-qs/399656 "2007-04-11T16:35:09Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![lovelybean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@lovelybean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelybean)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-your-ps-and-qs/399656/1 "2007-04-11T16:35:09Z")

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Perhaps this has already been discussed, but I’m wondering about the origin of the phrase “Mind your ps and qs.” I’ve heard it has something to do with typesetting, but I think this is not right. Am I wrong?

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**Author:** ![Peter\_Morris](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/peter_morris/32/359_2.png) [@Peter\_Morris](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peter_Morris)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-your-ps-and-qs/399656/2 "2007-04-11T16:42:44Z")

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It’s been discussed many times. Short answer is “origin unknown.” A few origins are suggested, all unproven, and most of them unlikely.  
A few links:

[http://www.word-detective.com/back-f.html](http://www.word-detective.com/back-f.html)

> **[Penguin Random House](https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com?date=20000623)**
>
> Committed to publishing great books, connecting readers and authors globally, and spreading the love of reading.

> **[World Wide Words: Mind Your Ps and Qs](http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/psandqs.htm)**
>
> The idiom in English 'mind your Ps and Qs' is puzzling, as there is no very obvious origin for it. The puzzle is investigated.

You can find literally thousands of sites saying the same thing.

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**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-your-ps-and-qs/399656/3 "2007-04-11T16:44:31Z")

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[World Wide Words](http://www.worldwidewords.org/articles/psandqs.htm) only comes up with “I dunno.”

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**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-your-ps-and-qs/399656/4 "2007-04-11T17:18:54Z")

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[Cecil column](http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a3_264.html)

[previous discussion](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=398482) including lots of (mostly discounted) hypotheses

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**Author:** ![lovelybean](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@lovelybean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lovelybean)\
**Post date:** [April 11, 2007, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/mind-your-ps-and-qs/399656/5 "2007-04-11T19:56:07Z")

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Thanks for the responses. I guess I’m at least as right as the next guy on this one!