text: where did the saying "mind your p's and q's come from?   grapelady is 100% correct !!! it is an old printers saying , as the most common mistake was the misplacement of the p's and q's as they were placed backwards in the press , and we as humans are prone to error !!! we use this saying still these days as a reminder that we are all imperfect and to keep that in mind before we criticize others for common mistakes , that we all in fact make !!!