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#1 2010-07-27 16:00:26

LisaOglesbee
Member
Registered: 2010-07-26
Posts: 1

"for all it's worth" or "for all its worth"?

Which one is correct/original? A case can be made that both work, e.g.:

“I’m enjoying this week for all it’s worth.”
“I’m enjoying this week for all its worth.”

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#2 2010-07-27 17:19:06

DavidTuggy
Eggcornista
From: Mexico
Registered: 2007-10-11
Posts: 2752
Website

Re: "for all it's worth" or "for all its worth"?

This is one of those that hinge on a very slight meaning adjustment. It makes sense to suppose that it’s is the “original” or “correct” form, since it is then parallel with the standard “for all he’s/she’s/I’m worth” rather than the marginal-at-best “for all his/her/my worth”. Assuming that (1) people writing “its” are thinking “possessive” rather than “it is” (a huge assumption: both spellings show up very constantly with both meanings), or at least (and more reasonably) (1b) at least some of them are, and (2) this is the standard way that they understand the construction, and (3) they got it from other people using the “correct” form, yeah, it can be seen as mildly eggcornish.
.
It’s/its/’tis an entertaining variant.
.
btw, welcome to the forum, Lisa.

Last edited by DavidTuggy (2010-07-27 19:46:45)


*If the human mind were simple enough for us to understand,
we would be too simple-minded to understand it* .

(Possible Corollary: it is, and we are .)

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