mind one's ps and qs in English

Audio: En-au-mind_one's_p's_and_q's.ogg

Forms: minds one's ps and qs [present, singular, third-person], minding one's ps and qs [participle, present], minded one's ps and qs [participle, past], minded one's ps and qs [past] [Show additional information ▼] [Hide additional information ▲]

Etymology: Uncertain; 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 school-room or the printing-office, but goes on to say that the chronology of the senses argues against this since no such connotation is evident in the earliest quotations. In the early 17th century, however, there is the expression pee and kew in the sense of “highest quality, best possible”. Also recorded as in thy Pee and Kue in 1602. Alternatively folk etymology claims that it comes from the sense that Ps and Qs mean 'Pints and Quarts' which were listed as 'Ps and Qs' before payment. The phrase would then come from minding your alcohol consumption as a result Etymology templates: {{unc|en}} Uncertain Head templates: {{en-verb|*|head=mind one's ps and qs}} mind one's ps and qs (third-person singular simple present minds one's ps and qs, present participle minding one's ps and qs, simple past and past participle minded one's ps and qs)

Alternative forms

[Show JSON for postprocessed kaikki.org data shown on this page ▼] [Hide JSON for postprocessed kaikki.org data shown on this page ▲]

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain",
      "name": "unc"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Uncertain; 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 school-room or the printing-office, but goes on to say that the chronology of the senses argues against this since no such connotation is evident in the earliest quotations.\nIn the early 17th century, however, there is the expression pee and kew in the sense of “highest quality, best possible”. Also recorded as in thy Pee and Kue in 1602.\nAlternatively folk etymology claims that it comes from the sense that Ps and Qs mean 'Pints and Quarts' which were listed as 'Ps and Qs' before payment. The phrase would then come from minding your alcohol consumption as a result",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "minds one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "minding one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "minded one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "minded one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "mind one's ps and qs"
      },
      "expansion": "mind one's ps and qs (third-person singular simple present minds one's ps and qs, present participle minding one's ps and qs, simple past and past participle minded one's ps and qs)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
          "parents": [
            "Terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        },
        {
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "When we go to visit, do remember to mind your ps and qs, children – we don't want another incident like last time.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be very careful to behave correctly."
      ],
      "id": "en-mind_one's_ps_and_qs-en-verb-an-1NLuq",
      "links": [
        [
          "careful",
          "careful"
        ],
        [
          "behave",
          "behave"
        ],
        [
          "correctly",
          "correctly"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To be very careful to behave correctly."
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "mind one's pees and cues"
        },
        {
          "word": "be on one's pees and cues"
        },
        {
          "word": "mind one's peas and cues"
        },
        {
          "word": "be on one's peas and cues"
        },
        {
          "word": "mind one's pees and kews"
        },
        {
          "word": "be on one's pees and kews"
        },
        {
          "word": "mind one's pees and ques"
        },
        {
          "word": "be on one's pees and ques"
        },
        {
          "word": "mind one's P's and Q's"
        },
        {
          "word": "be on one's P's and Q's"
        },
        {
          "word": "mind one's p's and q's"
        },
        {
          "word": "be on one's p's and q's"
        },
        {
          "word": "mind one's Ps and Qs"
        },
        {
          "word": "be on one's Ps and Qs"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
          "word": "olla tarkkana"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "to be careful",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
          "word": "olla kieli keskellä suuta"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
          "word": "käyttäytyä"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "english": "to behave correctly",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
          "word": "käyttäytyä hyvin olla kiltisti"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-mind_one's_p's_and_q's.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/90/En-au-mind_one%27s_p%27s_and_q%27s.ogg/En-au-mind_one%27s_p%27s_and_q%27s.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/En-au-mind_one%27s_p%27s_and_q%27s.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "mind one's ps and qs"
}

[Show JSON for raw wiktextract data ▼] [Hide JSON for raw wiktextract data ▲]

{
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en"
      },
      "expansion": "Uncertain",
      "name": "unc"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Uncertain; 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 school-room or the printing-office, but goes on to say that the chronology of the senses argues against this since no such connotation is evident in the earliest quotations.\nIn the early 17th century, however, there is the expression pee and kew in the sense of “highest quality, best possible”. Also recorded as in thy Pee and Kue in 1602.\nAlternatively folk etymology claims that it comes from the sense that Ps and Qs mean 'Pints and Quarts' which were listed as 'Ps and Qs' before payment. The phrase would then come from minding your alcohol consumption as a result",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "minds one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "present",
        "singular",
        "third-person"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "minding one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "present"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "minded one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "participle",
        "past"
      ]
    },
    {
      "form": "minded one's ps and qs",
      "tags": [
        "past"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "*",
        "head": "mind one's ps and qs"
      },
      "expansion": "mind one's ps and qs (third-person singular simple present minds one's ps and qs, present participle minding one's ps and qs, simple past and past participle minded one's ps and qs)",
      "name": "en-verb"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "verb",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English entries with incorrect language header",
        "English idioms",
        "English lemmas",
        "English multiword terms",
        "English terms derived from the shape of letters",
        "English terms with non-redundant non-automated sortkeys",
        "English terms with unknown etymologies",
        "English terms with usage examples",
        "English verbs",
        "English words containing Q not followed by U",
        "Entries with translation boxes",
        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Finnish translations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "When we go to visit, do remember to mind your ps and qs, children – we don't want another incident like last time.",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "To be very careful to behave correctly."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "careful",
          "careful"
        ],
        [
          "behave",
          "behave"
        ],
        [
          "correctly",
          "correctly"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) To be very careful to behave correctly."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "En-au-mind_one's_p's_and_q's.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/9/90/En-au-mind_one%27s_p%27s_and_q%27s.ogg/En-au-mind_one%27s_p%27s_and_q%27s.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/En-au-mind_one%27s_p%27s_and_q%27s.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "word": "mind one's pees and cues"
    },
    {
      "word": "be on one's pees and cues"
    },
    {
      "word": "mind one's peas and cues"
    },
    {
      "word": "be on one's peas and cues"
    },
    {
      "word": "mind one's pees and kews"
    },
    {
      "word": "be on one's pees and kews"
    },
    {
      "word": "mind one's pees and ques"
    },
    {
      "word": "be on one's pees and ques"
    },
    {
      "word": "mind one's P's and Q's"
    },
    {
      "word": "be on one's P's and Q's"
    },
    {
      "word": "mind one's p's and q's"
    },
    {
      "word": "be on one's p's and q's"
    },
    {
      "word": "mind one's Ps and Qs"
    },
    {
      "word": "be on one's Ps and Qs"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
      "word": "olla tarkkana"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "to be careful",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
      "word": "olla kieli keskellä suuta"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
      "word": "käyttäytyä"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "english": "to behave correctly",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "to be careful, behave correctly",
      "word": "käyttäytyä hyvin olla kiltisti"
    }
  ],
  "word": "mind one's ps and qs"
}

This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (bb46d54 and 0c3c9f6). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.

"mind one's ps and qs" meaning in English

Verb

Alternative forms