P and Q

TO BE P AND Q, verb. phr. (old colloquial).—To be of the first quality, or good measure.

  1612.  ROWLANDS, The Knave of Hearts, 20 [Hunterian Club’s Reprint, 1874].

  TO MIND ONE’S P’S AND Q’S, verb. phr. (colloquial).—To be careful or circumspect in behaviour; to be exact. [Of uncertain origin; amongst suggested derivations are (1) the difficulty experienced by children in distinguishing between ‘p’ and ‘q’; and (2) the old custom of alehouse tally, marking ‘p’ for pint, and ‘q’ for quart, care being necessary to avoid over- or under-charge. Probably both, in combination with the phrase TO BE P AND Q (q.v.), have helped to popularise the expression.]—GROSE (1785).

  1779.  HANNAH COWLEY, Who’s the Dupe? i. 1. You must MIND YOUR P—S AND Q—S with him, I can tell you.

  1821.  P. EGAN, Life in London, v. I must once more remind you, my dear Jerry, said Tom, that we must BE ON OUR P’S AND Q’S.

  1826.  BUCKSTONE, Luke the Labourer, iii. 1. Now, lad, MIND THY P’S AND Q’S, and you’re a made man!

  1840.  R. H. BARHAM, The Ingoldsby Legends (The Wedding-day).

  1861.  A. TROLLOPE, Framley Parsonage, xiv. But the Archdeacon was not quite at ease. Keep Dumbello UP TO HIS P’S AND Q’S, you know, a friend had whispered to him at his club.

  1864.  Essays on Social Subjects [The Saturday Review, 265]. A chiel’s among us takin’ notes. Virtue is put upon its P’S AND Q’S.

  1881.  H. JAMES, Washington Square, xix. He hoped very much that, as regarded this affair of Catherine’s, she would MIND HER P’S AND Q’S.

  1892.  G. M. FENN, The New Mistress, xxxv. If you don’t MIND YOUR P’S AND Q’S. You hold your tongue.

  1894.  GEORGE MOORE, Esther Waters, i. My mother’s the cook here; you’ll have to MIND YOUR P’S AND Q’S or else you’ll be dropped on.

  1896.  COTSFORD DICK, The Ways of the World: Vers de Sociéte, 25, ‘The Passion for Pace.’