8.1 Introduction 231g. You know, Mike, for what it ’ s worth , maybe you’re better off letting go
(2001 GH [SOAP])
(4) a. Honey, she’s overreacting to this. And if I may say so , so are you. (2007 BB
[SOAP])
b. Well, I think his argument was a bit tendentious if I may say so. (2003 PBS_
Newshour [COCA])
c. for what it ’ s worth , I really think she does love you (2009 DAYS [SOAP])
d. I mean, for what it ’ s worth , I think you should reconsider how you choose a
father (2007 GH [SOAP])
(5) a. You know, if I may say so , it seems that you and I have a great deal in com-
mon (2004 ATWT [SOAP])
b. They accepted the offer, if I may say so , with considerable joy. (2008 Greeley,
Irish tiger [COCA])
c. The newspapers – not least The Chronicle, if I may say so – have been doing
a much better job of trying to educate us about the roots of the current crisis,
(2001 San Francisco Chronicle [COCA])
d. For what it ’ s worth , I agree with you. (2004 BB [SOAP])
e. And for what it ’ s worth , I don’t think I could’ve handled the situation any
better myself. (2001 ATWT [SOAP])
Both expressions thus have a politeness function, by mitigating or lessening
the attack on the hearer’s negative face evoked by the expression of an opin-
ion or suggestion with which the hearer might not agree.^1 But they do this in
very different ways. For what it’s worth undercuts the speaker’s commitment
to the idea expressed by suggesting it has little value; the speaker expresses
(false) modesty and acts as if the opinion is one that the hearer will not put
much stock in or might be unwilling to accept or believe (‘What I am saying is
most likely of little value to you’). If I may say so conditionally seeks (and has
implicitly received) the hearer’s permission to state the opinion and expresses
general tentativeness about the opinion expressed (implying it may not have
great value).
While the function of for what it’s worth in characterizing the expressed
opinion or suggestion as of “uncertain or little value” may serve politeness
functions, it may also have another inferred meaning. That is, the prefaced
clause may express an opinion that is of “little value” because the speaker rec-
ognizes that stating the opinion makes no difference at this point: it will bring
no satisfaction to the hearer, it will not change the course of events, or it is said
too late to be helpful, as suggested by these SOAP examples:
1 To some extent, there is an attack on positive face as well, since the expression of an opinion
with which the speaker does not agree shows lack of solidarity with the hearer.