This got me thinking about the old Linotype machines and their rather
strange keyboard. I wondered if p's and q's were possibly opposites like f
and j on a typewriter keyboard. Thanks to the internet I know they aren't.
Brought back memories of Mr. Barker, my friend's father, who was an
"operator" at the local weekly newspaper. Over the years I must have had my
name spelled in every kind of type the newspaper had available on that
machine.
Wonderful time when you were thrilled with your name in lead ... but I
wouldn't want to go back to the slow process they used for publishing.
Wes
on 11/21/03 4:34 PM, Want1937hd@aol.com at Want1937hd@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 11/21/03 12:33:26 PM Eastern Standard Time, rbuck@aros.net
> writes:
>
>> I've heard a completely different answer to that. (My grandfather told me,
>>
>> about 45 years ago) It refers to moveable type as used in newspaper
>> printing before typesetting machines. When viewed head-on the reversed
>> images were very easy to get confused...so it was fairly easy for a young,
>> inattentive typesetter to set up a rack of type that resulted in something
>> like, "Mind your qints and puarts." Hence the admonishment to mind them
>> (or keep them straight...or reversed...or something) while putting the type
>> into place.
>>
>> Ray
>>
>
> Ray, I heard that one too, but how come they didn't have the same problem
> with lower case b's & d's? What I want to know is why I can mixup both b's&d's
> and p's&q's using a KEYBOARD? Maybe my right index finger is just getting
> tired.
> Bob in connecticut
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