Please double-click on the English subtitles below to play the video.
00:08
Feifei: So, tonight's the night, Neil.
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How do you feel?
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Neil: A bit nervous, but mostly excited.
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I've been practising
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my speech all morning.
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Feifei: Just go out there, smile, and don't
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forget: mind your Ps and Qs!
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00:21
Neil: Eh? I know how to spell, Feifei.
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Feifei: You know what I mean!
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Neil: Don't worry! I won't offend anyone.
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00:27
Feifei: Mind your Ps and Qs
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is our phrase in The English We Speak.
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If someone tells you
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to mind your Ps and Qs, they're telling
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you to be polite in a social situation, and
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to be careful about what you say or do.
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Neil: Feifei, I'm always on my best
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behaviour. Now, let me
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practise my speech.
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Feifei: And I'll play some examples.
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Gang, Gang, Gang! How many times
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have I told you to mind
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your Ps and Qs when you're with
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your grandparents? Grandma doesn't
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like that kind of language!
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01:00
Last week's meeting with our new clients
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was super frustrating.
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But I had to mind my Ps and Qs.
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As they say, the customer
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is always right!
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01:11
Lan always says the first thing that comes
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into her head. I just hope she minds her
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01:16
Ps and Qs at lunch today.
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01:21
Feifei: You're listening to The English
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01:23
We Speak from BBC Learning English.
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01:25
In this programme we are looking at
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the expression 'mind your Ps and Qs'.
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01:30
So Neil, finished practising
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your speech?
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Neil: Not yet. I've been distracted
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by today's phrase. I've been
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looking it up online.
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01:36
Feifei: And?
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01:37
Neil: Nobody agrees where it comes from.
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There are so many theories.
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One is that printers
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back in the 19th Century used
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to get confused between
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the small letters p and q.
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Feifei: They do look similar! So they had
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to mind their Ps and Qs. Makes sense.
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01:51
Neil: And there's another about
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bartenders in 17th Century England.
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They used to serve beer in
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measures called pints and quarts.
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Pints with a 'P' and quarts with a 'Q'.
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When a customer was
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drinking too much...
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02:05
Feifei: ... They told them to mind
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their pints and quarts?
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Their Ps and Qs. Yes, makes sense too.
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02:10
Neil: And there's another...
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Feifei: Neil?
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02:12
Neil: Yes?
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02:13
Feifei: Your speech is in one hour.
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02:15
Shouldn't you be practising?
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Neil: Oh! So it is.
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02:18
Feifei: And... Mind your Ps and Qs!
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02:20
Neil: OK. Bye.
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Feifei: Bye.
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