Why do Americans say they 'could care less'

[montsnmags]

Originally Posted by Laine

Last year on the train I sat behind a couple of early 20ish women and their conversation was riddled with - I'm like, he's like and she's like when they mean said.
e.g. He's like, "Where did you go?" And I'm like, "To Parramatta."
Irritated me no end. Reminded me of some years ago when they were saying I go, he goes and she goes for said. That came from a tv comedy program I think.

Kylie Mole, from The Comedy Company, back in the 80's. She used to say "She goes..." all the time, finishing up with variations of "She goes, she goes, she goes...she just goes!". A clip below, for the edification of our antiantipodean friends (one which doesn't appear to contain the aforementioned characteristic):



She (the character) even released a single, which I don't recommend anyone look for on YouTube unless you're an Aussie/Kiwi feeling particularly reminiscent.

Cheers,
Marc

[HappyMartin]

I am not sure if this is in worldwide usage but I frequently hear "The proof is in the pudding".

It makes me batty. I immediately think of Christmas pudding with the coins in it for children to find and then get caught in a loop thinking "no hang on they said the proof is in the pudding, not the money is in the pudding. Perhaps they mean money is a proof" and so on and so on.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating" in case this is a very local thing

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

When asking a student 'didn't you do your homework?' and he answers 'yes,' a western teacher will ask to see it, and the confused student will wonder why the teacher doesn't understand that the student didn't do it. He was acknowledging that fact by saying 'yes, he didn't do his homework.'

In a similar vein "do you mind? (if I have a look)"

- is often answered,

"yes, go ahead" .....

[Sparrow]

"There's chocolate in the fridge, if anyone's interested."

Presumably, if no-one is interested, there isn't any chocolate in the fridge.

(Schrodinger's choccie?)

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by Sparrow

"There's chocolate in the fridge, if anyone's interested."

Presumably, if no-one is interested, there isn't any chocolate in the fridge.

(Schrodinger's choccie?)

why's it in the fridge?, best place is the stomach .... after meltingly transiting lips, taste buds, tongue mmmmmmmmmmmmmmh

[iain_benson]

I'm quoting an old post, I know, but I've only just spotted the thread.

Originally Posted by slayda

I once tried to catalog all the words that were used to mean "good", e.g. neat, cool, good, & bad were some of the words on that list.

Sick seems to have recently become a popular word to mean good.
If I tell a someone the joke they just told was sick I mean it was revolting, not that I liked it.

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

My personal crusade is to save the adverbs! I even wrote a company because of the text on their cereal box: "Why eat organic?".

Writing "a company because of the text on their cereal box: "Why eat organic?" " wouldn't really help very much, where did you write it?
I think what you meant was you "wrote to a company ...". Another example of American laziness destroying our mother tongue.

Another phrase which annoys me is statements like "That bag needs emptied" - no, it "needs emptying" or "needs to be emptied", but I can't put the blame for that one on the Americans, it's my other half who uses it

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

http://begthequestion.info/

I wasn't aware of the correct usage of "begs the question" ... oops, my bad!

[Taylor514ce]

Originally Posted by iain_benson

Writing "a company because of the text on their cereal box: "Why eat organic?" " wouldn't really help very much, where did you write it?
I think what you meant was you "wrote to a company ...". Another example of American laziness destroying our mother tongue.

I should have added "to": I'm writing TO a company. Meaning, that I'm actively engaged in the act of writing to this company, and/or that we are engaged in a correspondence over the issue.

[DTM]

<DTM places his fingernails on the blackboard and slowly begins to pull...>

"Could of", "would of", "should of"

Need I say more?

[GeoffC]

Originally Posted by DTM

<DTM places his fingernails on the blackboard and slowly begins to pull...>

"Could of", "would of", "should of"

Need I say more?

erm .. erm ... yer know .... erm ... well .... erm ....


The ones I cringe at noticing are those who should know better, i.e. actors/actresses - surely it should not be beyond their capabilities to ad-lib something that makes sense and with a sense of the occasion?

[nekokami]

I'm surprised at how many English speakers can't figure out how to spell the English equivalent of the imperfect tense (describing a past habit): "used to." As in, "I used to go to yoga class, but I haven't had time lately."

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by DTM

<DTM places his fingernails on the blackboard and slowly begins to pull...>

"Could of", "would of", "should of"

Need I say more?

that drives me crazy. it makes NO SENSE !!! i can't understand why some people think it could be a real expression.

[Daithi]

"yoost too"

[Taylor514ce]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

that drives me crazy. it makes NO SENSE !!! i can't understand why some people think it could be a real expression.

Because "Could've" and "could of" SOUND the same, and most people simply transcribe what they think they hear. That's also the explanation for "use to" instead of "used to".

[Lady Blue]

Originally Posted by Taylor514ce

Because "Could've" and "could of" SOUND the same, and most people simply transcribe what they think they hear. That's also the explanation for "use to" instead of "used to".

As in:

Maresy dotes and dosey dotes, and little lamsey divey . . .

(Mares eat oats and does eat oats, and little lambs eat ivy . . .)

[krisk]

Originally Posted by HappyMartin

I am not sure if this is in worldwide usage but I frequently hear "The proof is in the pudding".

It makes me batty. I immediately think of Christmas pudding with the coins in it for children to find and then get caught in a loop thinking "no hang on they said the proof is in the pudding, not the money is in the pudding. Perhaps they mean money is a proof" and so on and so on.

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating" in case this is a very local thing

actually an old cooking term is "proof" and the pudding would be considered ready when it was "proofed". hence the term.