Blog Dis
The P's and Q's in your pocket
2026-02-19
When you have the P's and Q's in your pocket, you've got your ducks lined up in a row or you're playing with a full deck of cards or you're nobody's fool. This is how I grew up to understand this well-known expression, that in a nutshell, it means you're as sharp as you think you are, because you've got all your P's and Q's in your pocket.
However, this isn't the only version, nor is it the correct one.
Some also regard this old idiom as a reminder to be mindful of your behavior towards others. In actuality, however, the expression to mind your p's and q's is an old one that hails from Britain, having originated in a pub, as an obvious reminder to settle up your bill at the end of the night, to cover off the number of pints and quarts you quaffed back. I like this version, though I'm not adverse to the variations either.
The same can be said about crossing all of your t's and dotting your i's - yet another expression to suggest that you've covered off all the bases, and have left nothing to chance, or open to criticism. But are we? Are we truly as clever as we portray ourselves? Like everyone, I've my dullard moments when I need that penny to hit the floor or better yet, to hit me on the noggin as a reminder that I wasn't thinking as clear as straight lines.
Sometimes I need to step away from myself to realize that I am too busy trying to figure out where I had left behind my cleverness.
Here's where our so-called cleverness can sometimes be left at home on the kitchen counter, while we trot off to a foreign land, in search of adventure. When we're at home, we're in a secure and well-structured environment, a familiar place, which is to say our home is set up in the manner that suits our lifestyle. Some like a messy place, while others prefer a neat and tidy abode. This girl prefers neat and tidy because I don't care to be distracted with clutter, which will cause my mind to tailspin, thinking about all the things I should have done, instead of leaving procrastination to be the one in charge. However, and this is the distinction, when I travel to a foreign country I often return to my home country chastising myself for having functioned without having had all my P's and Q's in my pocket, or being mindful of my behavior. I'll expand on this a bit more.
When an longtime gal pal of mine and me would visit our favorite British pub in our 20s, we'd order and inhale British ale (Newcastle Brown, to be precise) and we'd not give it a second thought about our tab. In North America most pubs won't allow you to run a tab, but having traveled into England, Scotland and Ireland this isn't necessarily the case when you venture into a local pub where everyone knows everyone in town. A tab is a respectable way to drink ale, and so the notion of settling up with the owner makes perfect sense. But when traveling in a strange country, we fall off the track in terms of our habits and behavior and we act outside the norm, behave drunkenly sometimes, or conducting ourselves in less than a respectable manner.
During my last trip in October 2022, when the heat crawled up to 34 Celsius, I couldn't guzzle fast enough the ice-cold Bacardi coolers, after spending hours baking in the heat on the beach, only to stroll back to our hotel and jump into an ice-cold shower to cool off. Guzzling rum coolers isn't my thing, and my friend was shocked by my behavior, wondering who I was and who precisely had she traveled with because she'd not seen this behavior from me, despite having known me for decades. Yet, in a strange country, where we're not known, another side of ourselves can emerge, and our choice at this juncture is either to accept this other side of ourselves, or to revert to our standard issue-self, the one that minds her p's and q's, and goes out of her way to cross her t's and dot her i's.
I prefer the unknown self, if I can swing it.
When I travel abroad know one is aware of my true self, the lady who is hopelessly organized, thoughtful, and predictable on a daily basis, and who'll be there for those that neglect to mind their p's and q's. Travel into a foreign country encourages to let your hair down, way down, and to sometimes take risks, that you'd not consider doing in your home country. One example would be me having arrived in the country of Jordan by myself, getting into the airport at 3 AM. The next day, barely having slept and running on few hours of sleep, I went to explore the downtown core of Amman by myself. I made sure to dress appropriately, to cover up my shoulders, legs, head with a wide-brimmed hat, to wear dark sun-glasses, and non-descript clothing, pretty much to avoid calling attention to myself. I walked into the centretown and stopped dead in my tracks. A woman walking alone in a Muslim country, especially a White woman will automatically draw attention. I'm not exaggerating when I say that every single man on the street stopped, to stare at me, as though in their heads I could hear them questioning, "What on Earth?" These men too were carrying AK-47s, strapped to their shoulder like handbags. This is the part where you need to mind your p's and k's, to watch your behavior closely. Or, you could opt to do what I ended up doing, and that is to turn around and calmly walk my sorry-a** back to the hotel and stay there!
There are no pubs in Jordan, at least none that I saw, but there are more pubs in Ireland than you can shake a stick at, and the pub owners won't mind if you lose your p's and k's after consuming one too many pints. You can sing your heart out too along with the folk musicians and other tourists. Just make sure that your VISA card is under wraps to settle up your bill at the end of the night, or you'll be left doing the dishes.
However, this isn't the only version, nor is it the correct one.
Some also regard this old idiom as a reminder to be mindful of your behavior towards others. In actuality, however, the expression to mind your p's and q's is an old one that hails from Britain, having originated in a pub, as an obvious reminder to settle up your bill at the end of the night, to cover off the number of pints and quarts you quaffed back. I like this version, though I'm not adverse to the variations either.
The same can be said about crossing all of your t's and dotting your i's - yet another expression to suggest that you've covered off all the bases, and have left nothing to chance, or open to criticism. But are we? Are we truly as clever as we portray ourselves? Like everyone, I've my dullard moments when I need that penny to hit the floor or better yet, to hit me on the noggin as a reminder that I wasn't thinking as clear as straight lines.
Sometimes I need to step away from myself to realize that I am too busy trying to figure out where I had left behind my cleverness.
Here's where our so-called cleverness can sometimes be left at home on the kitchen counter, while we trot off to a foreign land, in search of adventure. When we're at home, we're in a secure and well-structured environment, a familiar place, which is to say our home is set up in the manner that suits our lifestyle. Some like a messy place, while others prefer a neat and tidy abode. This girl prefers neat and tidy because I don't care to be distracted with clutter, which will cause my mind to tailspin, thinking about all the things I should have done, instead of leaving procrastination to be the one in charge. However, and this is the distinction, when I travel to a foreign country I often return to my home country chastising myself for having functioned without having had all my P's and Q's in my pocket, or being mindful of my behavior. I'll expand on this a bit more.
When an longtime gal pal of mine and me would visit our favorite British pub in our 20s, we'd order and inhale British ale (Newcastle Brown, to be precise) and we'd not give it a second thought about our tab. In North America most pubs won't allow you to run a tab, but having traveled into England, Scotland and Ireland this isn't necessarily the case when you venture into a local pub where everyone knows everyone in town. A tab is a respectable way to drink ale, and so the notion of settling up with the owner makes perfect sense. But when traveling in a strange country, we fall off the track in terms of our habits and behavior and we act outside the norm, behave drunkenly sometimes, or conducting ourselves in less than a respectable manner.
During my last trip in October 2022, when the heat crawled up to 34 Celsius, I couldn't guzzle fast enough the ice-cold Bacardi coolers, after spending hours baking in the heat on the beach, only to stroll back to our hotel and jump into an ice-cold shower to cool off. Guzzling rum coolers isn't my thing, and my friend was shocked by my behavior, wondering who I was and who precisely had she traveled with because she'd not seen this behavior from me, despite having known me for decades. Yet, in a strange country, where we're not known, another side of ourselves can emerge, and our choice at this juncture is either to accept this other side of ourselves, or to revert to our standard issue-self, the one that minds her p's and q's, and goes out of her way to cross her t's and dot her i's.
I prefer the unknown self, if I can swing it.
When I travel abroad know one is aware of my true self, the lady who is hopelessly organized, thoughtful, and predictable on a daily basis, and who'll be there for those that neglect to mind their p's and q's. Travel into a foreign country encourages to let your hair down, way down, and to sometimes take risks, that you'd not consider doing in your home country. One example would be me having arrived in the country of Jordan by myself, getting into the airport at 3 AM. The next day, barely having slept and running on few hours of sleep, I went to explore the downtown core of Amman by myself. I made sure to dress appropriately, to cover up my shoulders, legs, head with a wide-brimmed hat, to wear dark sun-glasses, and non-descript clothing, pretty much to avoid calling attention to myself. I walked into the centretown and stopped dead in my tracks. A woman walking alone in a Muslim country, especially a White woman will automatically draw attention. I'm not exaggerating when I say that every single man on the street stopped, to stare at me, as though in their heads I could hear them questioning, "What on Earth?" These men too were carrying AK-47s, strapped to their shoulder like handbags. This is the part where you need to mind your p's and k's, to watch your behavior closely. Or, you could opt to do what I ended up doing, and that is to turn around and calmly walk my sorry-a** back to the hotel and stay there!
There are no pubs in Jordan, at least none that I saw, but there are more pubs in Ireland than you can shake a stick at, and the pub owners won't mind if you lose your p's and k's after consuming one too many pints. You can sing your heart out too along with the folk musicians and other tourists. Just make sure that your VISA card is under wraps to settle up your bill at the end of the night, or you'll be left doing the dishes.
