“Milk It for All It’s Worth” or “Milk It for All Its Worth”?
Mignon Fogarty
My sister just asked me (being an English major) whether the phrase is “milk it for all it’s worth” or “milk it for all its worth.” It seems she typed the “it’s” version into Word, which promptly told her to take out the apostrophe. Knowing that the corrective powers of Word’s grammatical system can sometimes be faulty, she passed the question on to me. I am, obviously, of no help to her in this matter.
Neither of us can decide if we should milk something for all it is worth, or milk something for the inherent worth within it. Both options seem plausible.
Which is correct?
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About the Author
Mignon Fogarty is the founder of Quick and Dirty Tips and the author of seven books on language, including the New York Times bestseller “Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips for Better Writing.” She is an inductee in the Podcasting Hall of Fame, and the show is a five-time winner of Best Education Podcast in the Podcast Awards. She has appeared as a guest expert on the Oprah Winfrey Show and the Today Show. Her popular LinkedIn Learning courses help people write better to communicate better.