Do you realize people spoke differently 150 years ago than they speak today?

I find "creditworthiness" to be an exceptionally inelegant turn of phrase.

Ok. Why? You could also use credit but creditworthiness works better for both contexts.

I figure you’re just being snarky but still.

Comes quite naturally if you're familiar with German word construction.

That said, it doesn't seem to have emerged into widespread use until well after the 1950s, so would have been a peculiar choice for a 19th century author:

<https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=creditworthine...>

It was 1873. People spoke and wrote differently - usually more verbosely. It also depends what context the quote has been lifted from. I think your version is excellent if you're 'trying' to write a new aphorism or idiom. But perhaps this formed part of a longer passage where its clauses felt more 'necessary'.

> Is that terribly worded or is it just me?

It's just you.

Not exactly a concise rebuttal from you either.

Creditworthiness? This ugly jargonic word is superior to the poetic phrase you are ‘improving’?

Ugh. Give me a break.

The banker has none creditworthiness? For me at least, the original is much more clear.