On 15 Oct 2003 18:46:05 -0700, rwamae@yahoo.com (Ruth) wrote:
>I hope someone in this group will be able to help me. English is not
>my first language and I am having trouble with the phrase "mind your
>P's and Q's? . What was it's origin? Even the meaning seems to differ
>depending on who you ask.
>
>Your help will be greatly appreciated.
>
>Thank you
>
>Ruth.
This would be a very good (or fun) resource for you!
http://www.wordorigins.org
Origin... no one seems to really know!
http://www.wordorigins.org/wordorp.htm#mind
Meaning... I've always taken it to mean "behave yourself", "use
manners and language appropriate for the situation" although I see
that some might use it as "be careful" or "be prepared"
Like most of english, we have taken bits and pieces from so many
languages that sometimes we have absolutely no idea where some words
and phrases come from!
HTH!
zamboni
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