MIND YOUR Ps AND Qs
THERE ARE FEW OF US WHO HAVE NOT AT ONE TIME OR ANOTHER BEEN
ADMONISHED TO “MIND OUR Ps AND Qs,” OR IN OTHER WORDS,
TO BEHAVE OUR BEST. ODDLY ENOUGH, “MIND YOUR Ps AND Qs”
HAD NAUTICAL BEGINNINGS AS A METHOD OF KEEPING BOOKS ON THE
WATERFRONT. IN THE DAYS OF SAIL WHEN SAILORS WERE PAID PITTANCE,
SEAMEN DRANK THEIR ALE IN TAVERNS WHOSE KEEPERS WERE WILLING TO
EXTEND CREDIT UNTIL PAYDAY. SINCE MANY SALTS WERE ILLITERATE,
KEEPERS KEPT A TALLY OF PINTS AND QUARTS CONSUMED BY EACH SAILOR ON
A CHALKBOARD BEHIND THE BAR. NEXT TO EACH PERSON’S NAME, A
MARK WAS MADE UNDER “P” FOR PINT OR “Q” FOR
QUART WHENEVER A SEAMAN ORDERED ANOTHER DRAUGHT. ON PAYDAY, EACH
SEAMAN WAS LIABLE FOR EACH MARK NEXT TO HIS NAME, SO HE WAS FORCED
TO “MIND HIS Ps AND Qs” OR GET INTO FINANCIAL TROUBLE.
TO ENSURE AN ACCURATE COUNT BY UNSCRUPULOUS KEEPERS, SAILORS HAD TO
KEEP THEIR WITS AND REMAIN SOMEWHAT SOBER. SOBRIETY USUALLY ENSURED
GOOD BEHAVIOR; HENCE, THE MEANING OF “MIND YOUR Ps AND
Qs."