Thread: ...to be a day...

What does that mean?
She was the oldest of the serving wenches, forty if she was a day, but still pretty...

Oops I think I guessed what that meant.
What's about that?
He had saved some money, for all the good that would do him.

You know, that is the first time I have heard that construction, but it is popular in the search engines, so it must exist.

I think it means: If she is as old as she looks

This is by judging the contexts I have found this construction. Maybe somebody with more literal experience will tell us more.

Originally Posted by gRomoZeka

Oops I think I guessed what that meant.
What's about that?
He had saved some money, for all the good that would do him.

This means that he had saved some money, but he didn't need it (he is going to die soon, it disappeared, etc.)

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

You know, that is the first time I have heard that construction, but it is popular in the search engines, so it must exist.
I think it means: If she is as old as she looks

Thanks. I think you're right. My Lingvo dictionary gave me resembling example.

"she was forty if she was a day" means "she was at least forty".

Yeah, it's saying that she had to be at least 40, no less.

The other one means that he saved some money, but it wouldn't help him in any way. I know that that's pretty much what kalinka said, but it could also mean that he just didn't save enough money and he still doesn't have enough. Also, the construction goes, "for all the good (that) it would do him." You need the "it" and the "that" is optional in spoken english (at least around here).