saying origins

[TalHex]

so i was having an arugement with my english teacher back when i was in school about the origins of the saying "mind your p's and q's". she said that it originated from mark twain and he said it in reference to the printing press. i argued that it originated as a welsh pub saying really meaning "mind your pints and quarts" as in don't cause a pub brawl. which of us is right?

[PhotonDrop]

It could honestly be either, but with the way the saying is traditionally used, I'd go with yours since it sounds more plausable.

I'm not sure dear Grandmama would talk about a printer when she wants bickering children to behave. :clown:

[UnderscoreX]

Like most fetishes, i'm sure it originated from Japan.

[TalHex]

*facekeyboard* i lul'd way harder then i should have at that

[Weeaboolits]

*homerows Talon*

Also, I have no idea.

[TheOneHero]

I do believe "mind your pints and quarts" is correct.

I can understand the printing press theory, not getting the p's and q's mixed up. But as history has taught us, most of our phrases/names come from way back when.

Golf for example: When it was invented, it was: Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. This was back in the day.

"Rule of the thumb": Way, way back in the day, men were allowed to beat their wife once a day, with a stick or rod no wider than his thumb.

Tell your teacher to stuff it, Ninja TOH is teaching today.

[TalHex]

hah! i was right! (i learned it from my dad, his grandfather was a coal miner and used to hang out at pubs a lot)

[PhotonDrop]

Mark Twain takes credit for a lot of things. Sure he's a genius, but English teachers give him credit for EVERYTHING.

I bet you didn't know Mark Twain once took a piss in the Mississippi River and created a cure for cancer!

Or that one time Mark Twain forgot to shave for a week and while strolling through the woods, a passer-by spotted him and started the legend of Sasquatch. D;

[TalHex]

mark twain: the english teacher's version of chuck norris

[Randomness]

I do believe "mind your pints and quarts" is correct.

I can understand the printing press theory, not getting the p's and q's mixed up. But as history has taught us, most of our phrases/names come from way back when.

Golf for example: When it was invented, it was: Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden. This was back in the day.

"Rule of the thumb": Way, way back in the day, men were allowed to beat their wife once a day, with a stick or rod no wider than his thumb.

Tell your teacher to stuff it, Ninja TOH is teaching today.

Beware the backronym (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/backronym).

Also, about rule of thumb... theres probably a million theories to the origin of it... a quick bit of research (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/rule_of_thumb) debunks yours.

[Nitro Vordex]

backronym

*chuckle*

[Randomness]

Gouf.

[TheOneHero]

Hmm, Randomness, I must admit, this doesn't happen a lot.

But from further research on Google, and checking the citations at Wikipedia, (as research should be done) I haven't found nearly enough information that shows I was correct in my statement of the "Rule of the Thumb".

However, from the information I have found, it is still possible that I am correct.

For the time being and for future reference, let's all just approach "Rule of the Thumb" indifferently, neither taking your side or mine. (I've also found some other theories that weren't mentioned on Wikipedia, that while unlikely for it's origin, do make sense.)

[astuarlen]

Agreeing with PD and Randomness.

[PhotonDrop]

Agreeing with PD and Randomness.

About my stand on Talon's issue, or an English teacher's Mark Twain fan-fiction?

[astuarlen]

Mark Twain fan fiction.
Did you read the one where Mark Twain travels through time to meet Shakespeare and together they invent 62% of the English language, rediscover the art of building peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (it was lost after the fall of the Roman Empire), and genetically engineer Oscar Wilde?

[TalHex]

actually i think rule of thumb refers to actual size measurements from ancient times
-a foot is of course the length of a grown mans foot
-an arm
-a leg
-the width of your thumb
were all different measurements before the meter and such, rule of thumb therefore refers to the system of using bodyparts as measurements... maybe...

[astuarlen]

That's basically what the Wiki article implies. "Rule of thumb" was discussed briefly on "Away with Words" (http://www.waywordradio.org/discussion/episodes/typewriters-we-have-loved/page-1/) in an episode which aired this past January. I trust Grant and Martha.

[TalHex]

That's basically what the Wiki article implies.
really? i didn't bother to look at the wiki, i just pulled that from my memory of stuff i heard awhile ago

[TheOneHero]

Actually Talon that's one of the things I discovered in further research. ;3

I sure do love Google.

[Nitro Vordex]

I sure do love to Google myself.
I knew it. ;~;

[TheOneHero]

Haha, Nitro, I'm not sure if you were here for that...

...but back in the day, we FKLites did Google our Screen Names.

[Nitro Vordex]

I did that, actually.

I ended up with this site. T_T