[General] for all one is worth

[vil]

Dear teachers,

Would you be kind enough to tell me whether I am right with my interpretation of the expression in bold in the following sentence?

“That’s just the point, sir.” He was saying. “Two of you did know, and yet, there the fellow was for months afterward, playing is own and cheating the Society for all he was worth, I shouldn’t wonder.”

for all one is worth = do as one pleases

Thanks for your efforts.

Regards,

V

 

[Rover_KE]

No.

It means 'to the utmost of his power or ability'.

Rover

 

[vil]

Hi Rover KE,

There is no doubt about that that the phrase “for all he was worth” means 'to the utmost of his power or ability'.

worth: Definition, Synonyms from Answers.com

The present connotation is the right for the following sentence from Crofits’ “Inspector French and the Cheyne Mystery” :

By this time Dangle was out on the road and running for all he was worth.

But the mentioned in my original post above connotations in my humble opinion is the right for the sentence from Galsworthy’s “The White Monkey”.

“That’s just the point, sir.” He was saying. “Two of you did know, and yet, there the fellow was for months afterward, playing is own and cheating the Society for all he was worth, I shouldn’t wonder.”

I would like to get used to become aware of the lights and shadow of the mysterious English expressions.

What do think about the following connotations of the phrase in question?

“Hold on, girl, hold on, for all you’re worth.”

The tree come down, the little Swede came down, and the gig yellow tom came down on top of everything, holding for all he was worth to the top of the little Swede’s head.

Regards,

V.