Discussions about eggcorns and related topics
You are not logged in.
The Eggcorn Forum and the Eggcorn Database are currently in the process of being converted into static sites.
Once the conversion is complete, all existing posts are expected to still be accessible at their original URLs. However, no new posts will be possible.
Feel free to comment on the relevant forum threads.
Chris -- 2025-05-10
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.”
Offline
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 worthâ€. 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* .
Offline