Word Peeve: "It's Not Worth It"

 This isn't really a peeve, more an observation. Language is evolving right before our eyes.

"I went through all that pain, but it was worth the trophy."

"We got first-class seats! Sitting in the airport for hours was worth it."

Hmm. Normally, when you consider buying something, you ask yourself if the item you're buying is worth the money it will cost you.

That house, for example, is worth a million dollars.

For a non-monetary example, consider a triathlon. You get a medal just for completing it. The medal is your reward. What it costs you is hours of physical and mental exertion, plus some pain and discomfort. Is the participation medal worth the exertion and the pain? 

Or, in the modern usage, is the exertion and pain worth the medal?

Or, in an even more confusing modern usage, is the exertion and pain worth it, just to get the medal? Wait a minute, what's the "it" in that sentence?

If you, like me, are tilting at windmills in your quest for more precise speech, then you may recognize that the reward is always worth the cost, not the other way around.

This:

The trophy was worth the pain. The medal was worth the exertion. The first-class seats were worth the waiting. That house is worth $1 million.

Not this:

The pain was worth the trophy. The exertion was worth the medal. The wait was worth the first-class seats. $1 million is worth that house.

However, in the end, after the dust has cleared:

The pain was worthy of the trophy. The exertion was worthy of the medal. The wait was worthy of first-class seats. The $1 million price tag was worthy of that house.

The person who endured the pain was deserving of the trophy. The person who made the exertion was deserving of the medal. And the travelers who waited in the terminal all day were deserving of the first-class seats. I'm not sure that the buyer with $1 million is deserving of that house, but they certainly can afford it.

There's always a "yeah, but", isn't there? 

In conclusion, your honor ...

As languages evolve, we now feel comfortable using "it is (or is not) worth it" in both directions: the reward is worth the cost, and the cost is worth the reward.