2458.3.2.1 Earliest Occurrences of For What It’s Worth. In its earliest
uses, for what it is worth functions as an complement with literal meaning.
These appear in the late eighteenth century:
(19) a. The commodity is then sold precisely for what it is worth , or for what it
really costs the person (1766 Smith, An inquiry into the nature and causes
of the wealth of nations [CLMET3.0])
b. he inclines to sell his reversion, I am willing to buy it for what it is worth
(1770 The Virginia Gazette Mar. 8 [AA])
c. They believe that public land, like every thing else offered for sale, ought to
be sold for what it is worth (1834 Congressional serial set p. 380 [books.
google.ca/ books?id=yj0LAAAAYAAJ])
In the extended sense, it begins to appear in the early nineteenth century in
expressions of metaphorical ‘giving,’ or ‘receiving’ in a communicative con-
text. It typically occurs in a partially fi xed idiom: take it/ give it/ let it pass/
accept it/ leave it/ throw it out/ receive it/ send it you/ present it , etc. for what it
is worth. This is the most common usage, far surpassing the literal sense. Here
for what it’s worth functions as a complement of a main clause (underlined):
(20) a. freely declare what you really know about any question, or suggest what
has struck you as throwing a new light upon it, and let it pass for what it
is worth. (1822 The New Monthly Magazine , p. 535 [books.google.com/
books?id=BdgRAAAAYAAJ])
b. and adjure you to take what I have to tell you , FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH –
neither for less, nor more. (1823 Hazlitt, Liber amoris, or the new Pygmalion
[CLMET3.0])
c. the testimony of this witness passing for what it is worth. (1834 THE
LIBERATOR. Nov. 1 [AA])
d. Let the book pass for what it is worth (1843 Hall, The new purchase [COHA])
e. This is a good story, and you have it for what it is worth. (1851 Judd,
Margaret 302 [UofV])
f. I do not call it a complete retraction of every suggestion against me which
was made at the police- court by the defendant; I take it for what it is worth
(1876 Merrill, Breaking peace > libel [OBPO])
g. If your cousin is civil to you, take her civility for what it is worth. (1894– 95
Hardy, Jude the obscure [UofV])
h. I am in the game for what it’s worth , the same as you (1915 Drake, The boy
allies under the sea [COHA])
The earliest adjunct uses occur in the late nineteenth century. Here for what it
is worth modifi es a noun, with it referring back to the noun; e.g., in (21a) for
what it is worth modifi es estimate :
(21) a. I will give you my present estimate of him, for what it is worth. (1864
Longstreet, Master William Mitten [COHA])
8.3 For What It’s Worth