For/To all intents and purposes

[Benjamin Barrett]

Laurence Horn wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
> Subject:      Re: For/To all intents and purposes
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> At 1:21 AM -0800 1/10/07, Benjamin Barrett wrote:
>
>> I sent in a dictionary correction for this item and was told that the
>> expression is "to all intents and purposes". The citation given me as
>> evidence is
>> http://www.faqfarm.com/Q/Is_the_saying_%27all_intents_and_purposes%27_or_%27all_intense_purposes%27.
>>
>> To me, "for" sounds much better" and I don't see a reason to cite one or
>> the other as being correct (and Google gives over a million hits for each).
>>
>> Another point in my favor is the citation actually claims "to" is
>> correct" but then gives "for" in its example.
>>
>> Most of the citation:
>> -----
>> The correct phrase is "TO all intents and purposes" which dates back to
>> the 1500s and originated in English law, where it was to all intents,
>> constructions, and purposes. The phrase is generally used to compare two
>> unlike acts or deeds, i.e., "She went to his room and drank with him,
>> which he viewed - for all intents and purposes - as consent to sex."
>>
>>
> >From being misheard and repeated, people also say "FOR all intents and
>
>> purposes" but that is a product of the original phrase being misheard
>> and repeated.
>> -----
>>
>> Can anyone provide guidance here?
>>
>> Benjamin Barrett
>> Baking the World a Better Place
>> www.hiroki.us
>>
>>
>
> You mean it's not "for all intensive purposes?"      ;-)
>
> LH
>
>
I suppose I should disclose that I had parsed it that way until I was
about 35 or so when I stumbled on a webpage excoriating people who do
that! BB

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