Date:  Tue, 25 Nov 1997 01:54:30 -0500
From:  "Barry A. Popik" <Bapopik[AT SYMBOL GOES HERE]AOL.COM>
Subject: Q. T.

  I thought of adding "Q.T." (Quiet!) to that posting yesterday about my
boss, but whatever. The earliest "Q.T." anyone has found is from 1870.
  This is from the New Orleans Picayune, 21 January 1843, pg. 2, col. 1:

   CRIMINAL COURT.--The gang of juvenile rowdies, who styled themselves the
Q.T. club, and who kicked up a "confounded fuss generally" at the Dutch ball
last summer, were yesterday being tried before the Criminal Court for the
offence.

   A modern use of Q.T. can be found in this item from the Aerial Age
Weekly, 5 May 1919, pg. 404:

   Private "C.C.Pill" inserted the following brief notation in his diary of
his pal's most exciting experience in France:
   "A.B.P. in the S.O.S. at A.S.P.C. No. 2 went A.W.O.L. on the Q.T. He
was nabbed by the M.P. at A.P.O. 702 at 8:05 P.M. His C.O. was O.D. at the
time, so he got a C.M.P.D.Q. Charge 94th A. of W., Par. 41144, G.O. 1313.
 Findings G. as C. Sentence, 2/3 of 2 and 30 at K.P. The O.I.C. forbade him
to go to the A.R.C. or Y.M.C.A. In short, he was S.O.L."--_E. and V., 460th
A.S., in "Yank Talk."_